Childhood poverty and mental health disorders in early adulthood: evidence from a Brazilian cohort study

Author(s):Show less -

Ziebold, Carolina ^[1] ; Evans-Lacko, Sara ^[2] ; Rezende Andrade, Mario Cesar ^[3] ; Hoffmann, Mauricio ^[4] ; Fonseca, Lais ^[1] ; Barbosa, Matheus ^[1] ; Pan, Pedro Mario ^{[5, 1]} ; Miguel, Euripedes ^{[6, 5]} ; Bressan, Rodrigo ^{[5, 1]} ; Rohde, Luis Augusto ^{[7, 5]} ; Salum, Giovanni ^{[7, 5]} ; Schafer, Julia ^{[7, 5]} ; Mari, Jair de Jesus ^{[5, 1]} ; Gadelha, Ary ^{[5, 1]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Psiquiatria, Rua Major Maragliano, 241 Vila Mariana, BR-04017030 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] London Sch Econ & Polit Sci, Care Policy & Evaluat Ctr, London - England

^[3] Univ Fed Sao Joao del Rei, Sao Joao Del Rei, MG - Brazil

^[4] Univ Fed Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS - Brazil

^[5] Natl Inst Dev Psychiat Children & Adolescents, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[6] Univ Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[7] Univ Fed Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: EUROPEAN CHILD & ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY; DEC 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Background We examined the association between childhood poverty and mental health disorders (MHD) in childhood and early adulthood. We also investigated whether the association between poverty in childhood and MHD is mediated by exposure to stressful life events (SLE). Methods We used data from a prospective community cohort of young people assessed at baseline (M = 9.7 years, SD = 1.9), first (M = 13.5 years, SD = 1.9), and second (M = 18.2 years, SD = 2.0) follow-ups (N = 1,590) in Brazil. Poverty was assessed using a standardized classification. Exposure to 20 different SLE was measured using the Life History instrument. Psychiatric diagnoses were evaluated using the Development and Well-Being Assessment. Latent growth models investigated the association between poverty at baseline and the growth of any MHD, externalizing, and internalizing disorders. Mediation models evaluated whether the association between childhood poverty and MHD in early adulthood was mediated by exposure to SLE. Results Poverty affected 11.4% of the sample at baseline and was associated with an increased propensity for presenting externalizing disorders in adolescence or early adulthood (standardized estimate = 0.27, p = 0.016). This association was not significant for any disorder or internalizing disorders. Childhood poverty increased the likelihood of externalizing disorders in early adulthood through higher exposure to SLE (OR = 1.07, 95 CI% 1.01-1.14). Results were only replicated among females in stratified analyses. Conclusions Childhood poverty had detrimental consequences on externalizing MHD in adolescence, especially among females. Poverty and SLE are preventable risk factors that need to be tackled to reduce the burden of externalizing disorders in young people. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 08/57896-8 - National Institute for Developmental Psychiatry
• Grantee: Eurípedes Constantino Miguel Filho
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 14/50917-0 - INCT 2014: developmental psychiatry for children and adolescents
• Grantee: Eurípedes Constantino Miguel Filho
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants