Publication year: 2011
Source: Social Science & Medicine, In Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available online 12 July 2011
Katie A., McLaughlin , Joshua, Breslau , Jennifer Greif, Green , Matthew D., Lakoma , Nancy A., Sampson , …
Although significant associations between childhood socio-economic status (SES) and adult mental disorders have been widely documented, SES has been defined using several different indicators often considered alone. Little research has examined the relative importance of these different indicators in accounting for the overall associations of childhood SES with adult outcomes. Nor has previous research distinguished associations of childhood SES with first onsets of mental disorders in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood from those with persistence of these disorders into adulthood in accounting for the overall associations between childhood SES and adult mental disorders. Disaggregated data of this sort are presented here…
Highlights: ► Childhood financial hardship predictsfirst onset of DSM-IV mental disorders. ► Financial hardship predicts only child onsets after adjusting for other adversities. ► Parental education and occupation are unassociated with mentaldisorder onsets. ► Low parental education predicts greater severity of adult mental disorders. ► Low parental education predicts greater persistence of behavior disorders