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Published on: December 2, 2015
An emerging income differential for adolescent emotional problems
Emma Gore Langton1, Stephan Collishaw, Robert Goodman
1King's College London Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK.
Summary
Adolescent emotional difficulties show a growing income gap. Low-income youth face increasing risks, influenced by sociodemographic and family factors, highlighting health inequality concerns.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Developmental Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Evidence on income gradients and child behavior problems is robust, but findings for emotional difficulties are mixed.
- Older studies found no income differentials, while recent data suggest low-income adolescents experience more emotional difficulties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between family income and adolescent emotional difficulties across three national cohorts.
- To examine the role of sociodemographic and proximal family factors in mediating this association over time.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of parent-reported emotional difficulties in 15- and 16-year-olds from cohorts in 1974, 1986, and 1999/2004.
- Examination of changes in the association between income, sociodemographic factors, and emotional difficulties.
- Mediation analysis using maternal distress, life events, and family dysfunction in recent cohorts.
Main Results:
- A significant increase in the income differential for adolescent emotional problems was observed, with coefficients rising from .07 to .30 between 1974/1986 and 1999/2004.
- Sociodemographic risk factors became more strongly associated with low income and had a greater impact over time.
- Approximately 40% of sociodemographic risks were mediated by proximal family factors in recent cohorts.
Conclusions:
- The widening income gap in adolescent emotional problems has significant public health implications.
- Findings underscore the health burden associated with socioeconomic inequality and social change.
- Understanding these dynamics is crucial for addressing adolescent mental health disparities.
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