title: Were the mental health benefits of a housing mobility intervention larger for adolescents in higher socioeconomic status families?
abstract: Moving to Opportunity (MTO) was a social experiment to test how relocation to lower poverty neighborhoods influences low-income families. Using adolescent data from 4 to 7 year evaluations (aged 12-19, n=2829), we applied gender-stratified intent-to-treat and adherence-adjusted linear regression models, to test effect modification of MTO intervention effects on adolescent mental health. Low parental education, welfare receipt, unemployment and never-married status were not significant effect modifiers. Tailoring mobility interventions by these characteristics may not be necessary to alter impact on adolescent mental health. Because parental enrollment in school and teen parent status adversely modified MTO intervention effects on youth mental health, post-move services that increase guidance and supervision of adolescents may help support post-move adjustment.
authors.affiliation: Institute on Urban Health Research, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, 310 International Village, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Quynh C
authors.initials: QC
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Nicole M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: M Maria
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Glymour
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Rehkopf
authors.forename: Theresa L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Osypuk
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D011203:Poverty; D011638:Public Housing; D012946:Social Welfare; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adolescent mental health; Housing mobility; Housing policy; Neighborhood effects; Randomized controlled trial