title: Housing mobility and cognitive development: Change in verbal and nonverbal abilities.
abstract: This study investigates the influence of housing instability on verbal and nonverbal cognitive development among at-risk children and adolescents involved in the child welfare system. Frequent residential changes threaten child mental health, especially among low-income families. Little is known regarding disruptions to cognitive growth, specifically the impact on verbal and nonverbal abilities. The study tests whether developmental timing of housing mobility affects cognitive development beyond individual and family risks. A nationally representative study of families (n=2,442) susceptible to housing and family instability tracked children and adolescents aged 4-14 years (M=8.95 years) over 36 months following investigation by the child welfare system. Youth completed standardized cognitive assessments while caregivers reported on behavior problems and family risk at three time points. Latent growth models examined change in cognitive abilities over time. Housing mobility in the 12 months prior to baseline predicts lower verbal cognitive abilities that improve marginally. Similar effects emerge for all age groups; however, frequent moves in infancy diminish the influence of subsequent housing mobility on verbal tasks. Housing instability threatened cognitive development beyond child maltreatment, family changes, poverty, and other risks. Findings inform emerging research on environmental influences on neurocognitive development, as well as identify targets for early intervention. Systematic assessment of family housing problems, including through the child welfare system, provides opportunities for coordinated responses to prevent instability and cognitive threats.
authors.affiliation: Washington University in St. Louis, 1 Brookings Drive, Campus Box 1196, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA.
authors.forename: Patrick J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Fowler
authors.affiliation: American University, 4400 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20016, USA.
authors.forename: Lauren M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: McGrath
authors.affiliation: University of Illinois at Chicago, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1747 West Roosevelt Road, Chicago, IL 60608, USA.
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Henry
authors.affiliation: University of Chicago, 969 E. 60th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schoeny
authors.affiliation: DePaul University, 2219 N Kenmore Avenue, Chicago, IL 60614, USA.
authors.forename: Dina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chavira
authors.affiliation: Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, 815 W. Van Buren St. Ste. 210, Chicago, IL 60607-3567, USA.
authors.forename: Jeremy J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: Research Triangle International, 3040 East Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194, USA.
authors.forename: Orin
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Day
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D017028:Caregivers; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D002669:Child Welfare; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition; D005195:Family Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011203:Poverty; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D002666:Psychology, Child; D014171:Transients and Migrants / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States; D014705:Verbal Behavior
keywords: Child welfare; Cognitive development; Developmental timing; Family stability; Housing mobility