A Different Type of Economic Fragility: Wealth and Adolescent Problem Behavior

项目摘要 该提案通过考虑财富被忽视的作用，解决了青少年中持续存在的心理健康危机 以及财富剥夺在推动青少年问题行为方面的作用。关于经济劣势和行为的文献 卫生部门对驱动问题行为的经济环境采取了短视的态度，几乎完全专注于 关注收入，而忽视财富(家庭资产减去债务)。财富的分配比收入的分配更不平等 大约三分之一的儿童家庭经历着财富匮乏。这项研究将是第一次纵向研究 观察财富、收入和青少年发展的不同家庭队列。在社会经济和种族方面 通过对青年(13-15岁；N=750)及其照顾者的不同抽样调查，本次调查有三个目的。首先，它会 重复测量(嵌套在个人中的9个观察)来自全面来源的家庭财富，并获得更多 准确了解不同社会经济地位、种族和民族随着时间推移的财富不平等和净资产贫困。 其次，它将探讨财富如何与家庭收入和收入波动相联系，以及这些因素如何与问题相关。 行为。考虑到最近贫富差距的扩大远远超过了收入差距，我们认为这一点至关重要 思考财富水平和贫困与青少年问题行为之间的关系。第三，它将测试多条路径 通过它，财富可能与青少年的问题行为有关。这包括：1)时间和金钱的投入；2) 照顾者和青少年压力，3)照顾者和青少年对未来的期望，以及4)感知和 社会阶级的表现。总体来看，该提案提供了新的知识，并与NICHD建立了联系 通过提供丰富的描述性信息，说明青少年的问题行为如何受到家庭财富的影响 以及这些经历如何与家庭经济状况的其他方面相互作用，对青少年做出贡献 发展。该项目对四条发展道路的有力分析将对提供预防和 旨在减少问题行为和促进儿童心理社会功能的干预努力 经历财富剥夺的家庭中的青少年。

Project Summary The proposal addresses the ongoing mental health crisis among adolescents by considering the overlooked role of wealth and wealth deprivation in driving adolescent problem behaviors. The literature on economic disadvantage and behavioral health has taken a myopic view of the economic circumstances that drive problem behaviors, focusing nearly exclusively on income, while ignoring wealth (household assets minus debts). Wealth is distributed more unequally than is income with roughly one-third of child households experience wealth deprivation. This study will be the first longitudinal study of a diverse cohort of families that observes wealth, income, and adolescent development. With a socioeconomically and racially diverse sample of youth (ages 13-15 years; N = 750) and their caregivers, this investigation has three aims. First it will repeatedly measure (9 observations nested within individuals) family wealth from comprehensive sources and gain a more accurate understanding of wealth inequality and net worth poverty over time across different SES, racial, and ethnic groups. Second, it will probe how wealth interfaces with family income and income volatility and how these factors relate to problem behaviors. Considering that the recent growth in wealth disparities has far outpaced income disparities, we believe it critical to consider how wealth levels and deprivation relate to youth problem behaviors. Third, it will test multiple pathways through which wealth may relate to adolescent problem behaviors. These include: 1) investments of time and money, 2) caregiver and adolescent stress, 3) caregiver and adolescent expectations for the future, and 4) perceptions and manifestations of social class. Examined collectively, the proposal contributes new knowledge and connects to NICHD priorities by providing rich descriptive information as to how adolescents’ problem behaviors are shaped by family wealth and how such experiences interface with other dimensions of family economic circumstances to contribute to adolescent development. The project’s robust analysis of four developmental pathways will be crucial for informing prevention and intervention efforts aimed at reducing problem behaviors and promoting children’s psychosocial functioning among adolescents in families experiencing wealth deprivation.