The Christchurch Health and Development Study: An Overview and Some Key Findings

D.M. Fergusson

There is a growing concern that problems among children and their families are increasing. This concern has led to a search for solutions, focusing on attempts to identify causative factors for childhood and adolescent problems. One of the best ways of examining such issues is through longitudinal research that looks at how variations in social, family and associated conditions in childhood are related to the individual’s longer-term adjustment and wellbeing.

This paper provides an overview of the Christchurch Health and Development Study, which has been running for 21 years, and presents a summary of the research findings on the effects of single-parent families, sexual and physical abuse and inter-parental violence, and those factors associated with severe maladjustment and suicide.

The findings suggest that although poor outcomes are associated with factors such as single parenthood, family violence and child abuse, it is the broader social and family context in which these events occur that is important. The implication is that  policies most likely to be effective in addressing the needs of at-risk families and their children will involve multi-compartmental approaches that address the wide range of social, economic, family, individual and related factors that contribute to the development of childhood problems.