title: Economic outcomes in adulthood and their associations with antisocial conduct, attention deficit and anxiety problems in childhood.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Conduct disorder (antisocial conduct), attention deficit problems and anxiety in childhood have negative effects on individuals during their childhood, on their families, and often into adulthood.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To quantify the connections between childhood antisocial conduct, attention deficit and anxiety, and some adulthood economic consequences.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from a British birth cohort study were examined for links between behavioural and emotional problems in childhood, and occupational status and earnings in adulthood, after adjusting for individual and family covariates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The effects of antisocial conduct on adult labour market outcomes were complex. Results for males with antisocial conduct at age 10 showed a higher probability of being unemployed at age 30 (after adjustment for other factors). However, males with antisocial conduct at age 10 had higher earnings than those without such behaviour, again after adjusting for other factors. There were no such differences for females with antisocial conduct. Attention deficit problems at age 10 were associated with lower employment rates, worse jobs, lower earnings if employed, and lower expected earnings overall - for both males and females. Anxiety problems were associated with lower earnings. Other childhood factors associated with worse adulthood economic outcomes included cognitive attainment, living in a disadvantaged neighbourhood, mother's educational qualifications, family income and being looked after by a local authority.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Links between antisocial conduct and attention deficit in childhood and high adulthood personal and societal costs support arguments for effective interventions to prevent and treat behavioural problems in childhood. However, the cost-effectiveness of such interventions still needs to be considered carefully.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Childhood mental health problems are strongly linked to adverse adulthood experiences across a number of domains. Early detection and intervention might head off many of these negative outcomes for children, their families and wider society. The positive impact of antisocial conduct on earnings needs further examination: it is not necessarily counter-intuitive, but it raises interesting policy questions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The long-term outcomes of childhood problems and interventions need further study, as do the pathways connecting childhood morbidity, adulthood outcomes and other potential intervening factors.
authors: London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK. m.knapp@lse.ac.uk
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Knapp
authors: Derek
authors: D
authors: King
authors: Andrew
authors: A
authors: Healey
authors: Cicely
authors: C
authors: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000191:economics* / Q000523:psychology; D001259:Ataxia / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000191:economics* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000191:economics* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors