Family income and youths' symptoms of depression and anxiety: a longitudinal study of the French GAZEL Youth cohort.
BACKGROUND
It is not clear whether socioeconomic inequalities with regard to depression and anxiety are present in adolescence and young adulthood. We tested the hypothesis that in the community, youths growing up in families with low income have elevated rates of such psychological difficulties.


METHODS
We used data from participants of the GAZEL Youth study, a French community-based cohort assessed in 1991 and 1999 (n = 941 youths, 4-18 years of age at baseline). Measures of family income and youths' symptoms of depression and anxiety (assessed using the ASEBA family of instruments) were obtained from parents and youths at study baseline and follow-up. Covariates included family characteristics (parental divorce, parental unemployment or labor force exit, parental health difficulties including psychopathology and the quality of family relations) and youths' characteristics (sex, age, stressful life events, history of internalizing and externalizing problems).


RESULTS
Youths from families with low income during the study period had elevated odds of symptoms of depression and anxiety at follow-up (compared to youths from families with intermediate/high income, age-adjusted OR: 1.74, 95% CI 1.17-2.57; fully adjusted OR: 1.94, 95% CI: 1.27-2.97). In particular, the likelihood of psychological difficulties was elevated among youths from families that experienced decreasing and persistently low income over time (fully adjusted ORs, respectively: 2.44, 95% CI 1.24-4.81 and 1. 83, 95% 1.10-3.06).


CONCLUSIONS
Clinicians need to be aware that youths growing up in low-income families in the community may be at risk of depression and anxiety during the period of transition to adulthood.
Epidemiology of Occupational and Social Determinants of Health, Inserm U1018, CESP, YMRS1018, Villejuif, France. maria.melchior@inserm.fr
Maria
M
Melchior
Jean-François
JF
Chastang
Vera
V
Walburg
Louise
L
Arseneault
Cédric
C
Galéra
Eric
E
Fombonne
D000293:Adolescent; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D007389:Internal-External Control; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011203:Poverty / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires