title: Economic stress in childhood and adulthood, and poor psychological health: three life course hypotheses.
abstract: Investigations of mental health in a life course perspective are scarce. The aim is to investigate associations between economic stress in childhood and adulthood, and poor psychological health in adulthood with reference to the accumulation, critical period and social mobility hypotheses in life course epidemiology. The 2008 public health survey in Skåne is a cross-sectional postal questionnaire study. A random sample was invited which yielded 28,198 respondents aged 18-80 (55% participation). Psychological health was assessed with the GHQ12 instrument. Logistic regression models were used to investigate the associations adjusting for age, country of birth, socioeconomic status, emotional support, instrumental support and trust, and stratifying by sex. The accumulation hypothesis was confirmed because combined childhood and adulthood exposures to economic stress were associated with poor psychological health in a graded manner. The social mobility hypothesis was also confirmed. The critical period hypothesis was not confirmed because both childhood and adulthood economic stress remained significantly associated with poor psychological health in adulthood. Economic stress in childhood is associated with mental health in adulthood.
authors: Department of Clinical Sciences in Malmö, Lund University, S-205 02 Malmö, Sweden; Centre for Economic Demography, Lund University, Sweden. Electronic address: martin.lindstrom@med.lu.se.
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Lindström
authors: Department of Clinical Sciences in Malmö, Lund University, S-205 02 Malmö, Sweden.
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Fridh
authors: Department of Clinical Sciences in Malmö, Lund University, S-205 02 Malmö, Sweden; Centre for Economic Demography, Lund University, Sweden.
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Rosvall
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011203:Poverty / Q000523:psychology*; D012923:Social Class; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D035502:Trust / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Economic stress; GHQ12; Life course perspective; Mental health; Social capital; Sweden