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Transitioning to poverty negatively affects children’s mental health

Experiencing a new transition to poverty significantly increased risk for mental health problems among children in the U.K., according to recent findings.

“Our study shows that moving into poverty damages children’s mental health,” Sophie Wickham, PhD, of University of Liverpool, said in a press release. “Our findings reinforce the need to monitor income-based measures of child poverty to track the effect that government's policies are having on children's lives. In order to improve mental health in the U.K. it is essential that children are protected from the toxic effects of growing up in poverty.”

To ascertain the effect of moving into poverty on mental health, researchers analyzed data from the U.K. Millennium Cohort study, a nationally representative cohort of children born in the U.K. from 2000 to 2002 who completed survey waves from age 9 months to 11 years. Analysis included all children and mothers who were free of mental health problems and not in poverty when children were aged 3 years (n = 6,063 families).

Overall, 14% of the cohort experienced a new transition into poverty, while 86% remained out of poverty.

When adjusting for confounders, risk for socioemotional behavioral problems in children was increased by transition to poverty (OR = 1.41; 95% CI, 1.02-1.93; P = .04) and maternal psychological distress (OR = 1.44; 95% CI, 1.21-1.71; P < .0001).

Controlling for maternal psychological distress reduced the effect of transition to poverty (OR = 1.3; 95% CI, 0.94-1.79; P = .11).

“This comprehensive study shows how children’s mental health is compromised by poverty. It tells us loud and clear that inadequate family income damages children’s life chances — and having a working parent doesn't stop that damage from happening,” Alison Garnham, chief executive of Child Poverty Action Group, said in the release. “Working poverty is still poverty. With one in four children in poverty in the U.K., and projections that numbers may rise by half by 2020, that should ring alarms. The well-being of our next generation is at stake: Surely that is a compelling reason for re-instating poverty-reduction targets that, along with most of the Child Poverty Act, were scrapped last year. Without targets to track progress on eradicating poverty, how can we know if we're improving or further jeopardizing our children's well-being?” – by Amanda Oldt

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.