Socioeconomic Context, Social Support, and Adolescent Mental Health: A Multilevel Investigation

• NCJ Number: 214328
• Journal: Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 35 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2006 Pages: 115-126
• Author(s): Richard G. Wright; Amanda L. Botticello; Carol S. Aneshensel
• Date Published: February 2006
• Length: 12 pages
• Grant Number(s): R01 MH 60923; P01-HD31921
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Mental Health; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined whether the influence of socioeconomic disadvantage on an adolescent's mental health was dependent on individual perceptions of social support.

Abstract

The findings suggest that both youths' mental health and minor delinquent behaviors can be reduced by fostering social support among family, teachers, and supportive social groups even when socioeconomic disadvantage is present in their living conditions. Socioeconomic disadvantage--as measured by a resident community's proportion of households receiving public assistance, proportion of individuals with incomes below the poverty level, proportion of adults without a high school diploma and without a college degree, and the unemployment rate--was significantly associated with high depressive symptoms and low levels of minor delinquency among the adolescents studied. The existence and severity of depressive symptoms were reduced by adolescents' perceived social support from parents, teachers, and friends, as well as perceptions that family members had fun together, paid attention to them, and understood them. Thus, living in a community and a family under the impact of socioeconomic disadvantage is not cumulative in its effect on mental health across individuals, but rather varies according to adolescents' perceptions of social support. Data were obtained from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), a panel survey of a nationally representative United States sample (n=18,417) of seventh and eighth grade students. Data on the adolescent and his/her family were obtained from self-reports and personal interviews with youths and their parents in the home. Socioeconomic disadvantage was determined from 1990 data on census tract characteristics. Various instruments measured depressive symptoms, minor delinquency, violent behavior, social support, and other risk factors controlled in the analysis. 2 tables, 1 figure, and 65 references