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Tanishta RajeshPhD Student

About me

I am a PhD student at the Department of Public Health Sciences, where I also completed a Master's degree in Public Health. My research focuses on health inequalities, particularly among families involved with child welfare services, and aims to understand how social, economic, and health-related disadvantages can be perpetuated across generations. Using Swedish National regiter data, I am currently studying familial circumstances leading to out-of-home care experiences, and its impact on health and social outcomes. Through my work, I hope to inform evidence-based policies for better health and well-being for families.

Teaching

Course assistant (2023)

Management and description of quantitative data  (PH08A1) - VT 23
Basic statistical analysis (PH09A1) - VT 23
Statistical data modelling ( PH10A1) - VT 23 
Individual in-depth course in public health sciences (PH19A0): Quantitative data analysis - HT 23

Course assistant (2024)

Management and description of quantitative data  (PH08A1) - VT 24
Basic statistical analysis (PH09A1) - VT 24
Statistical data modelling ( PH10A1) - VT 24

Research projects

Reproduction of inequality through linked lives (RELINK)

The aim of this research programme is to study how social, economic, and health-related inequalities in the parental generation re-emerge in subsequent generations as well as the extent to which siblings and friends may explain or break this reproduction.

Publications

A selection from Stockholm University publication database

  • Parental mental health after having a child placed in out-of-home care in Sweden: A register-based longitudinal cohort study

    2022. Tanishta Rajesh.

    Children in out-of-home care (OHC) experience poor outcomes in almost every dimension of life. However, much less attention has been given to their birth parents who also face several co-existing challenges. This study examines the association between OHC placement of a child and changes in mental health disorders (MHD) in their parents. Data from two generations of the Stockholm Birth Cohort Multigenerational (SBC Multigen) study including 11,338 parents (Generation 1; G1) and their children (Generation 2; G2) was used and associations between OHC placement in G2 and changes in MHD in G1 were examined using multinomial regression analysis. Stratified analysis by sex in G1 was performed to explore variations in patterns of associations. Results not only showed associations between OHC and worsening of MHD (RRR=6.57), but also improvement in MHD (RRR=7.71) compared to parents that did not have a child in care. Sex stratified analysis in G1 showed that OHC placement was associated with almost twice the relative risk of worsening of MHD in mothers (RRR=7.62) as compared to fathers (RRR=4.58). The study concluded that OHC placement of a child may not only be associated with worsening but may also be associated with improvement in MHD for some parents.

    Read more about Parental mental health after having a child placed in out-of-home care in Sweden

  • Changes in parents' mental health related to child out-of-home care placements: A Swedish national register study

    2023. Tanishta Rajesh (et al.). International Journal of Child Abuse & Neglect 140

    Article

    Background: Literature on outcomes of children in out-of-home care (OHC) is extensive. However, less is known regarding associations of such placements with parental mental health disorders (MHD).

    Objective: This study investigated changes in hospitalization rates due to MHD among parents, four years before and after placement of their child in OHC.Participants and settingWe used data on 4067 members (Generation 1) of the RELINK53 cohort (individuals born and living in Sweden in 1953) and their 5373 children (Generation 2) in OHC.

    Methods: Using random effects regression models, associations between OHC and MHD were examined separately for fathers and mothers. Nested models were tested exploring associations with parent and child/placement-related factors. Marginal effects were computed to assess mean rates of hospitalization annually.

    Results: Overall, mothers had higher mean hospitalization rates than fathers. Compared to the year of placement, hospitalization rates were significantly lower in the four years before placement for mothers (9.9 %, 9.5 %, 10.5 %, 12.1 %, respectively) and fathers (5.9 %, 7.6 %, 8 %, 9.8 %, respectively). Mothers showed highest hospitalization rates at the year of placement (26.6 %), while fathers, one year after placement (13.4 %). Hospitalization rates declined significantly directly after placement among mothers, but an unclear and non-significant pattern of results was found among fathers.

    Conclusions: Most parents have higher hospitalization rates at and directly after placement. Potential hypotheses underlying these findings are discussed, including psychosocial gender differences and opportunities to seek care as means of reunification. There is an urgency to develop strategies to better support these parents throughout the process.

    Read more about Changes in parents' mental health related to child out-of-home care placements

Show all publications by Tanishta Rajesh at Stockholm University

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