Yang Murong, Violato Mara, Carson Claire
Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK.
Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Oxford, OX3 7LF, UK.
Arch Public Health. 2025 Sep 1;83(1):224. doi: 10.1186/s13690-025-01702-4.
Childhood and adolescence are critical periods of emotional and psychological development, during which socioeconomic factors such as family income may have varying effects on mental health. While previous research suggests that children from lower-income families tend to have poorer mental health outcomes, it is unclear how this association changes with age. Understanding these patterns is essential for designing interventions that target the most vulnerable periods in development. This study investigates the relationship between family income and mental health across childhood and adolescence in the UK, identifying potential age-related changes in the strength of this association.
A sample of 5667 children from the UK Millennium Cohort Study was followed from ages 3 to 17 years. Overall mental health problems, internalising and externalising problems were measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Family income was assessed using inflation-adjusted annual family income, adjusted for family size and composition, and a binary indicator of poverty status. Panel data linear fixed-effects models were used to control for unobserved heterogeneity.
Higher family income was associated with better child mental health, but the magnitude of the effect varied with age. After adjustment for confounders, lower income predicted poorer overall mental health at ages 11 and 14 years, with the strongest association observed at 14. Weak association was found at ages 3, 5, 7, and 17. A similar trend was observed for externalising problems, while the income protective effect on internalising problems showed a significant increase with age. No substantial sex differences were observed in these associations.
Child mental health-income gradient exists in the UK and varies with age, being stronger in adolescence than childhood, and for internalising symptoms. Family income interventions/redistributions in early adolescence are more likely to reduce mental health problems in young people.
儿童期和青少年期是情绪和心理发展的关键时期，在此期间，诸如家庭收入等社会经济因素可能对心理健康产生不同影响。虽然先前的研究表明，来自低收入家庭的儿童往往心理健康状况较差，但尚不清楚这种关联如何随年龄变化。了解这些模式对于设计针对发育中最脆弱时期的干预措施至关重要。本研究调查了英国儿童期和青少年期家庭收入与心理健康之间的关系，确定了这种关联强度中潜在的与年龄相关的变化。
对来自英国千禧世代研究的5667名儿童进行了从3岁到17岁的跟踪研究。使用优势与困难问卷来测量总体心理健康问题、内化问题和外化问题。家庭收入通过经通胀调整的家庭年收入进行评估，并根据家庭规模和构成进行调整，同时使用贫困状况的二元指标。使用面板数据线性固定效应模型来控制未观察到的异质性。
较高的家庭收入与更好的儿童心理健康相关，但影响程度随年龄而异。在对混杂因素进行调整后，较低收入预示着11岁和14岁时总体心理健康较差，在14岁时观察到最强的关联。在3岁、5岁、7岁和17岁时发现关联较弱。在外化问题上观察到类似趋势，而收入对内化问题的保护作用随年龄显著增加。在这些关联中未观察到实质性的性别差异。
英国存在儿童心理健康-收入梯度，且随年龄变化，在青少年期比儿童期更强，在内化症状方面也是如此。青春期早期的家庭收入干预/再分配更有可能减少年轻人的心理健康问题。
