Their study of more than 2000 children, from the ages of six to 12, showed a direct association between parental absence and emotional and behavioural disorders such as depression, anxiety, aggressive and disruptive behaviour.

In particular, children whose mothers are either single, divorced, widowed or dead are three times more likely to develop mental health problems as other children, Dr Bernardine Woo and researchers at Singapore's Institute of Mental Health and the National University of Singapore found.

Woo, who led the investigation, said the team did not study the reasons for the link.

"Some postulated reasons were the children received less support from their parents and the quality of care may be different," Woo told Reuters on Wednesday. "It may affect them psychologically."

In Asia, it is common for both parents to work and to leave their children in the care of a maid, a relative or professional day-care centre.

The study also found that in general, boys are twice as likely as girls to develop emotional and behavioural problems. Boys with a lower IQ, or intelligence quotient, were also three times as much at risk compared to those with a higher IQ.

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