Children who experience three or more stressful life events, such as family bereavement, divorce or serious illness, are significantly more likely to develop emotional and behavioural disorders according to new research published by the Office for National Statistics.

The three-year study tracked the emotional wellbeing of a sample of children and young people between 2004 and 2007 and reviewed the factors likely to be associated with the onset or persistence of disorders.

It found that three per cent of children who did not have an emotional or behavioural disorder in 2004 had developed one by 2007, with family, household and social characteristics strongly linked to the onset of one or more disorder.

The news release and the full report are available to download from the Office for National Statistics website.