Child socioeconomic status, childhood adversity and adult socioeconomic status in a nationally representative sample of young adults

The effect of childhood family adversity on adulthood depression among Chinese older migrant workers: gender differences in the mediating role of social-ecological systems

BACKGROUND

Older migrant workers (OMWs) in China face unique challenges rooted in their early life experiences, which increase their vulnerability to psychological and behavioral problems in adulthood. By utilizing the cumulative disadvantage model and the social-ecological systems theory, this study explored the effect of childhood family adversity on adulthood depression in the mediating roles of OMWs' social-ecological microsystem and mesosystem and further examined gender differences in these associations.

METHODS

Data were collected from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), involving a sample of 4,309 OMWs aged 50 and above. The measures included the Center for Epidemiological Research Depression Scale, childhood family adversity, socioeconomic status, marital quality, and physical and cognitive health.

RESULTS

Childhood family adversity was positively associated with adulthood depression among OMWs. Social microsystem (physical and cognitive health) and mesosystem (marital quality and socioeconomic status) factors significantly mediated this relationship. Multi-group analysis revealed that the mediating effects of marital quality and socioeconomic status were stronger for female OMWs, while the mediating effects of physical and cognitive health were stronger for male OMWs.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that childhood family adversity has a lasting impact on the mental health of OMWs, and that social-ecological systems factors play an important role in this relationship. The study also highlights the need for gender-specific interventions to address the mental health needs of OMWs.

Childhood Adversities and Caregiving for Older Parents: Building Capacity for a Caring Society

OBJECTIVES

This study investigates the relationships between childhood adversities and the provision of informal care for older parents in later life in China.

METHODS

The data came from 4 waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (N = 20,047). Using multilevel logistic regression models, we examined the relationships between adverse experiences in childhood and both the propensity and intensity of caregiving for older parents. Drawing on the regression results, we then estimated the total number of caregivers for older parents in China.

RESULTS

Experiencing 1 additional childhood adversity was associated with a decrease of 8% in the odds of providing informal care (p < .001). The association between childhood adversity and caregiving remained significant after sociodemographic factors and later-life outcomes were controlled for. We estimated that 58.3 million middle-aged adults in China were providing care for parents in 2020. Had people experienced 1 fewer adversity in their childhood, there would have been 2.2 million more caregivers in 2020. Had they experienced 2 fewer adversities, there would have been 3.4 million more caregivers.

DISCUSSION

The factors associated with informal caregiving can be traced back to early-life experiences. To address the shortage of informal care supply, it is crucial to foster a caring culture from the very beginning of human development.

Lower Childhood Socioeconomic Status Is Associated with Greater Neural Responses to Ambient Auditory Changes in Adulthood

Humans' early life experience varies by socioeconomic status (SES), raising the question of how this difference is reflected in the adult brain. An important aspect of brain function is the ability to detect salient ambient changes while focusing on a task. Here, we ask whether subjective social status during childhood is reflected by the way young adults' brain detecting changes in irrelevant information. In two studies (total n = 58), we examine electrical brain responses in the frontocentral region to a series of auditory tones, consisting of standard stimuli (80%) and deviant stimuli (20%) interspersed randomly, while participants were engaged in various visual tasks. Both studies showed stronger automatic change detection indexed by MMN in lower SES individuals, regardless of the unattended sound's feature, attended emotional content, or study type. Moreover, we observed a larger MMN in lower-SES participants, although they did not show differences in brain and behavior responses to the attended task. Lower-SES people also did not involuntarily orient more attention to sound changes (i.e., deviant stimuli), as indexed by the P3a. The study indicates that individuals with lower subjective social status may have an increased ability to automatically detect changes in their environment, which may suggest their adaptation to their childhood environments.

Social exclusion as a major outcome domain of psychotic disorders: early predictors, and associations with non-recovery and clinical staging 21 years after a first episode of psychosis

PURPOSE

People with psychotic disorders have high levels of social exclusion; however, little is known about its early predictors. We present a long-term observational cohort study aimed at examining early risk factors for later social exclusion.

METHODS

A total of 243 subjects were assessed at their first psychotic episode for early risk factors including sociodemographic variables, familial risk of major mental disorders, perinatal complications, childhood factors, and adolescent factors and re-assessed after a mean follow-up of 21 years for 12 social exclusion domains: leisure activities, housing, work, income, neighborhood deprivation, educational attainment, physical and mental health, family and social support, legal competence, and discrimination. The ability of risk factors to predict social exclusion was examined using hierarchical linear regression.

RESULTS

Overall social exclusion was independently predicted by low parental socio-economic status, length of follow-up, familial risk of schizophrenia, obstetric complications, neurodevelopmental delay, poor childhood adjustment, childhood adversity, poor adolescent social networks, poor adolescent adjustment, and low premorbid IQ. The model explained 58.2% of the variance in total social exclusion score. Each social exclusion domain was predicted by a different set of variables, which explained between 17.8 and 57.0% of their variance, although low socio-economic status, familial risk of schizophrenia, obstetric complications, childhood adversity, and poor social networks predicted most of the social exclusion domains.

CONCLUSION

Early risk factors strongly predicted later social exclusion. A multifaceted approach to preventing later social exclusion is crucial in people with a first episode of psychosis and early risk factors of social exclusion.

Investigating the linkages between food insecurity, psychological distress, and poor sleep outcomes among U.S. college students

OBJECTIVE

Research overwhelmingly demonstrates that sleep is key to human health and wellbeing. Several factors likely contribute to sleep quality, including factors, such as food security and low income. In addition, exposure to structural inequalities early in life likely have downstream effects upon multiple dimensions of health. The objective of this study is to fill gaps in literature by specifically examining the associations between childhood food insecurity, current food insecurity, psychological distress, and sleep among college students.

METHODS

QR codes were randomly distributed to students, linking them to an online quantitative survey. The survey measured sociodemographic variables, food security (current and childhood), diet, mental distress, and sleep quality. A total of n = 134 completed the entire survey. Data were analyzed using binary and multiple linear regressions, as well as cross-tabulations.

RESULTS

The findings revealed that psychological distress was the primary factor influencing sleep health (𝛽 = 1.51, p < .01). Students reporting higher childhood food insecurity were more likely to experience extreme psychological distress (OR = 4.61), food insecurity in college (OR = 8.41), and lack of stable housing (OR = 5.86).

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates that potential linkages exist between childhood food insecurity, poor sleep, and greater psychological distress. While acknowledging the contribution of other factors, the study highlights the importance of addressing food insecurity in relation to sleep health, considering the significant impact of sleep to overall health and wellbeing.

Childhood adversity and the risk of gestational diabetes: A population-based cohort study of nulliparous pregnant women

AIMS

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is one of the most common pregnancy complications, and though it may be linked to childhood adversity, the effect of different types of adversity remains unclear. Childhood adversity is linked to a younger maternal age, which may hide the overall impact of adversity on GDM risk. We therefore aimed to explore the association between different types of childhood adversity and GDM while accounting for the potential impact of maternal age.

METHODS

We used Danish nation-wide register data, including 208,207 women giving birth for the first time from 2004 to 2018. Five adversity groups were used to examine the effect of childhood adversity on GDM risk: (1) low (referent group), (2) early life material deprivation, (3) persistent deprivation, (4) loss or threat of loss within the family and (5) high adversity.

RESULTS

5375 women were diagnosed with GDM in the study population (2.6% absolute risk). Compared to women who experienced low adversity, the other adversity groups had a higher GDM risk (absolute difference [%]) directly; early material deprivation (0.64% [95% CI 0.44; 0.84]), persistent deprivation (0.63% [0.41; 0.86]), loss or threat of loss (0.73% [0.42; 1.05]) and high adversity (0.80% [0.32; 1.27]). The indirect effect of maternal age attenuated the total effect of childhood adversity on GDM by an absolute difference of 0.25%-0.46%.

CONCLUSIONS

Experiencing childhood adversity to any extent is associated with a higher risk of GDM. Interventions aimed at preventing childhood adversity may have a positive effect in reducing GDM burden and the associated health risks.

The long-lasting effect of early life family structure on social position, well-being, and biological condition in adulthood

BACKGROUND

The absence of even one parent has short- and long-term effects on the child's current and future health. The purpose of the study was to determine whether there is a long-term relationship between the type of family in which men were raised and an individual's adult social position, well-being in adulthood and their biological condition regardless of social status in adulthood.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data for 4528 males, aged 25-80 years, were selected from the archives of the Lower Silesian Medical Centre in Wrocław, Poland. A total of 329 men declared that they grew up in incomplete families. Height, weight, % fat, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, blood parameters, and health of men who grew up in complete or incomplete families were compared.

RESULTS

Growing up in an incomplete family reduced chances for better education, decreased life satisfaction in adulthood, and negatively affected the final height. After taking into account the education achieved, the effect persisted only for diastolic blood pressure, creatinine, and serum phosphorus levels.

CONCLUSIONS

Growing up in an incomplete family has a significant impact on male's socioeconomic position (SES), life satisfaction, and final height. A poorer quality of diet is proposed as an early life risk factor for adult health.

The association between family adversity and youth mental health outcomes

BACKGROUND

The association between family adversity and young people's mental health outcomes in communities that experience economic instability has not been well explored in the South African context. Furthermore, the overtime interaction between resilience factors, family adversity, and young people's psychological functioning in African settings, like South Africa, is under-investigated.

PURPOSE

This study investigates the relationship between family adversity and conduct problems and depression at two-time points in a sample of youths in two South African communities stressed by their dependency on economically volatile oil and gas industries.

METHOD

This article draws on longitudinal data generated by the Resilient Youth in Stressed Environments (RYSE) study in South Africa, which included 914 and 528 (wave 1 and 3) adolescents and emerging adults (14-27-year-olds; M age = 18.36 years) living in Secunda/eMbalenhle and Sasolburg/Zamdela. Participants were sampled at baseline (wave 1) and 18-24 months later (wave 3). They self-reported experience of community violence, family adversity, resilience-enabling resources, conduct difficulties, and depression symptoms. Regression analyses were used to examine the unadjusted and adjusted association of family adversity on conduct problem and depression.

RESULTS

About 60% of participants reported high family adversity. Regressions, however, revealed no association between family adversity and conduct problems and depression cross-sectionally and over time. Individual resilience, biological sex, and experience of victimization in the community, however, were associated with conduct difficulty while all three resilience factors were associated with decreased depression among participants.

CONCLUSION

Our study sheds light on the risk and protective factors for mental health outcomes of adolescents and youths who reside in volatile, turbulent communities and experience ongoing familial challenges. To effectively support the mental well-being of young individuals in such contexts, interventions must consider the potential ambivalence of the resilience factors they aim to strengthen.

Early adversity and emotional awareness: A partial confirmation and extension of their relationship

Early adversity has been consistently linked to mental health outcomes, but the underlying pathways remain unclear. One previous study found an association between early adversity and trait emotional awareness (EA), which has itself been linked to health outcomes, but links to mental health were not explicitly examined. The aim of the current study was to test the hypothesis that the association between early adversity and health can be partially accounted for by differences in EA within a large student sample (n = 196). Participants completed measures of early adversity, EA, and current emotional functioning (i.e., depression, anxiety, somatization, positive/negative affect). Bayesian analyses found the most evidence for models with an interaction between sex and early adversity in predicting emotional functioning - revealing the expected negative relationship between early adversity and EA in females, but a positive relationship in males. Early adversity, but not EA, was associated with depression, anxiety, and implicit negative affect. Only explicit positive affect was associated with both early adversity and EA, and EA partially mediated the negative association between early adversity and positive affect. These results provide limited support for EA as a mediating pathway for the effects of early adversity on mental health.

Do Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms Become Socially Isolated? Longitudinal Within-Person Associations in a Nationally Representative Cohort

Objective

This study examined longitudinal associations between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and social isolation across childhood. The study tested the direction of this association across time, while accounting for preexisting characteristics, and assessed whether this association varied by ADHD presentation, informant, sex, and socioeconomic status.

Method

Participants included 2,232 children from the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study. ADHD symptoms and social isolation were measured at ages 5, 7, 10, and 12. Random-intercept cross-lagged panel models were used to assess the directionality of the association across childhood.

Results

Children with increased ADHD symptoms were consistently at increased risk of becoming socially isolated later in childhood, over and above stable characteristics (β = .05-.08). These longitudinal associations were not bidirectional; isolated children were not at risk of worsening ADHD symptoms later on. Children with hyperactive ADHD presentation were more likely to become isolated, compared with inattentive presentation. This was evident in the school setting, as observed by teachers, but not by mothers at home.

Conclusion

The study findings highlight the importance of enhancing peer social support and inclusion for children with ADHD, particularly in school settings. This study adds explanatory value beyond traditional longitudinal methods, as the results represent how individual children change over time, relative to their own preexisting characteristics.

Diversity & Inclusion Statement

We worked to ensure sex and gender balance in the recruitment of human participants. We worked to ensure that the study questionnaires were prepared in an inclusive way. One or more of the authors of this paper self-identifies as a member of one or more historically underrepresented sexual and/or gender groups in science. We actively worked to promote sex and gender balance in our author group. The author list of this paper includes contributors from the location and/or community where the research was conducted who participated in the data collection, design, analysis, and/or interpretation of the work.

The associations among childhood trauma, loneliness, mental health symptoms, and indicators of social exclusion in adulthood: A UK Biobank study

AIMS

Childhood trauma has been associated with adult psychosocial outcomes linked to social exclusion. However, the strength of these associations in the general population is unknown. The emergence of the UK Biobank, with rich phenotypic characterization of the adult population, affords the exploration of the childhood determinants of adult psychopathology with greater statistical power. The current study aims to explore (1) the associations between childhood trauma and social exclusion in adulthood and (2) the role that self-reported loneliness and symptoms of distress play in the associations.

METHODS

This study was an analysis of 87,545 participants (mean [± SD] age = 55.68 [7.78], 55.0% female, 97.4% White) enrolled in the UK Biobank. Childhood trauma was determined by the five-item Childhood Trauma Screener. Current loneliness and symptoms of anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7) and depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) were also entered in analyses. Outcomes were "limited social participation," "area deprivation," "individual deprivation," and "social exclusion" from a previously determined dimensional measure of social exclusion in the UK Biobank.

RESULTS

Hierarchical multiple regression models indicated small associations between childhood trauma and social exclusion outcomes, explaining between 1.5% and 5.0% of the variance. Associations weakened but remained significant when loneliness, anxiety, and depression were entered in the models; however, anxiety symptoms demonstrated a negative association with "individual deprivation" and "social exclusion" in the final models. Depression was most strongly associated with "individual deprivation," "area deprivation," and "social exclusion" followed by childhood trauma. Loneliness was most strongly associated with "limited social participation."

CONCLUSIONS

Experiences of childhood trauma can increase the propensity for adulthood social exclusion. Loneliness and symptoms of depression attenuate but do not eliminate these associations. Anxiety symptoms have a potentially protective effect on the development of "individual deprivation." Findings add to the growing body of literature advocating for trauma-informed approaches in a variety of settings to help ameliorate the effects of childhood trauma on adult psychosocial outcomes. Further research, however, is required.

The Effects of Severe Childhood Physical and Sexual Abuse on Adult Socioeconomic Prosperity

Our study utilizes Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) scores to estimate the relationship between forced sexual intercourse and physical abuse on socioeconomic outcomes in adulthood. ACEs have been shown to have long-term negative impacts on health, mental health, and cognition. We expand upon the literature that analyzes the effects of ACEs on human capital investment and adult socioeconomic outcomes by focusing on the ACE scores pertaining to repeated physical and forced sexual abuse in childhood. Specifically, we estimate probit models using data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to measure the marginal effects of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and physical abuse on the probability of high school completion, unemployment, and the likelihood of living in poverty in adulthood. We find adults who suffered physical abuse in childhood are more likely to live in poverty. Adult survivors of CSA are less likely to finish high school and more likely to live in poverty. The likelihood of high school noncompletion increases when the individual suffered both forms of abuse. We also find that only those who suffered both forms of abuse in childhood had a greater likelihood of being unemployed and high school noncompletion. We find the negative socioeconomic impact in adulthood is larger for women than for men, implying gender heterogeneity in outcomes of CSA and physical abuse. Researchers should control for the correlation between sexual abuse and physical abuse in childhood, particularly in women, when estimating their effects on socioeconomic outcomes.

Adverse Experiences in Late Adolescence and Young Adulthood Disadvantages

Despite extensive research documenting associations between adverse early-life experiences and negative outcomes in later life, little is known about how adverse experiences in late adolescence relate to young adulthood disadvantages. This study examines the role of adverse experiences during late adolescence on young adults' education and work trajectories in Taiwan. Drawing theories and research from human development and sociology, the study links indicators of disadvantages in young adulthood to measures of adverse experiences in late adolescence using data from the Taiwan Youth Project data (n = 1221; median ages 18, 20, and 22; 49.4% female). The analysis found that running away from home was associated with instability in education or employment and that having cumulative adverse experiences was associated with graduating with debt and instability in education or employment. Some associations were explained by financial pressure, however, taken together, the findings suggest that certain adverse experiences in late adolescence have a significant impact on disadvantaged education and work trajectories in young adulthood.

Childhood Adversity, Emotional Well-Being, Loneliness, and Optimism: a National Study

Optimism and loneliness, which reflect the expected inverse associations with excess morbidity and mortality, are theoretically and empirically associated with early adversities and offer potential avenues for clinical support. The current study first estimates latent classes of adverse childhood experiences and, second, assesses the role of these experiences on later reports of optimism and loneliness in late adolescence and emerging adulthood, and the role of emotional regulation and common mental disorders. Surveys were conducted in a longitudinal household sample of adolescents recruited in 2013 (average age of 20 at wave 6 follow-ups). The analytic sample included 1177 female and male respondents representative of their age group in the USA at baseline. Latent classes were estimated based on 10 indicators of childhood adversity. Respondents were assigned to classes using posterior probabilities of latent class membership, and class membership was used to predict psychological outcomes in multivariable models. Three latent classes of childhood adversity were identified in the current sample, representing low childhood adversity (81.5%), higher probability of family dysfunction with lower levels of interpersonal abuse (13.4%), and high adversity including higher probabilities of parental discord and violence as well as child abuse (5.1%). Both classes of respondents who faced greater childhood adversity were more likely to report greater loneliness and lower optimism in emerging adulthood. Results were attenuated by measures of emotional well-being. Addressing adolescent loneliness and supporting optimistic outlooks in emerging adulthood are two pathways with potential benefits to reduce mental and physical morbidities.

Rural Maternal Health Care Outcomes, Drivers, and Patient Perspectives

Rural communities are a vital segment of the US population; however, these communities are shrinking, and their population is aging. Rural women experience health disparities including increased risk of maternal morbidity and mortality. In this article, we will explore these trends and their determinants both within and external to the health care system. Health care providers, public health professionals, and policymakers should be aware of these social and structural factors that influence health outcomes and take action to reduce generational cycles of health disparity. Opportunities to improve the health and pregnancy outcomes for rural women and rural populations are highlighted.