Abstract
This paper examines the relative influence of family stressors and the family’s socioeconomic circumstances on children’s
happiness. Data from the 9 year old cohort of the national Growing Up in Ireland study (GUI) was used to examine these relationships.
The sample consisted of 8,568 children and their families. The stressors considered were a conflictual parent–child relationship;
children with emotional and social problems; parental depression; low parental self-efficacy and child isolation. A group
of families and children who were experiencing a higher level of these stressors was identified. This constituted 16 % of
the sample. Although socioeconomic disadvantage contributed significantly to the vulnerability of this group, it was by no
means the sole or dominant issue. Using the Piers-Harris Happiness and Satisfaction Subscale, children’s self-assessed happiness
in this identified group was found to be significantly lower than in the other groups, irrespective of socioeconomic and demographic
variables. The family stressors were found to explain more than twice the variance in the children’s happiness than explained
by the measures of socioeconomic status. Nonetheless, most of the variance remains unexplained. Future research directions
to explore this are indicated.
happiness. Data from the 9 year old cohort of the national Growing Up in Ireland study (GUI) was used to examine these relationships.
The sample consisted of 8,568 children and their families. The stressors considered were a conflictual parent–child relationship;
children with emotional and social problems; parental depression; low parental self-efficacy and child isolation. A group
of families and children who were experiencing a higher level of these stressors was identified. This constituted 16 % of
the sample. Although socioeconomic disadvantage contributed significantly to the vulnerability of this group, it was by no
means the sole or dominant issue. Using the Piers-Harris Happiness and Satisfaction Subscale, children’s self-assessed happiness
in this identified group was found to be significantly lower than in the other groups, irrespective of socioeconomic and demographic
variables. The family stressors were found to explain more than twice the variance in the children’s happiness than explained
by the measures of socioeconomic status. Nonetheless, most of the variance remains unexplained. Future research directions
to explore this are indicated.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-23
- DOI 10.1007/s12187-012-9153-7
- Authors
- Colette McAuley, School of Applied Social Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Richard Layte, Economic and Social Research Institute, Dublin, Ireland
- Journal Child Indicators Research
- Online ISSN 1874-8988
- Print ISSN 1874-897X