Wood, N;
Hardy, R;
Bann, D;
Gale, C;
Stafford, M;
(2020)
Childhood correlates of adult positive mental well-being in three British longitudinal studies.
Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health
10.1136/jech-2019-213709.
(In press).
Preview |
Text (Article)
Childhood psychosocial and socioeconomic adversity_JECH_unmarked.pdf - Accepted Version Download (962kB) | Preview |
Preview |
Text (Online supplemental material A)
Supplementary information_A.pdf - Accepted Version Download (673kB) | Preview |
Preview |
Text (Online supplemental material B)
Supplementary information_B.pdf - Accepted Version Download (682kB) | Preview |
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Previous evidence has shown how experiences within childhood, such as parenting and socioeconomic conditions, are associated later on in life with adult mental well-being. However, these studies tend to focus on childhood experiences in isolation, and fewer studies have investigated how multiple aspects of the childhood environment, including both socioeconomic and psychosocial aspects, are associated with adult positive mental well-being. Using data from three British birth cohort studies, we investigated how prospective measures of the childhood environment up to the age of 16 years were associated with midlife adult mental well-being and whether similar associations were replicated across different generations. METHODS: Childhood environment comprised socioeconomic circumstances, psychosocial factors (child-rearing and parenting, family instability) and parental health. The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale, a validated instrument measuring both hedonic and eudaemonic aspects of well-being, was administered in mid-life. We modelled associations between childhood environment domains and well-being. RESULTS: Despite changes in social context in all three studies, poorer quality parent-child relationships and poor parental mental health were strongly and independently associated with poorer adult mental well-being. Socioeconomic circumstances were also associated with adult mental well-being, but the association was weaker than for the measures of parenting or parental mental health. CONCLUSION: These findings confirm that parenting and parental mental health, as well as socioeconomic circumstances, are important for adult mental well-being. Interventions in early childhood aimed at reducing socioeconomic adversity and offering support to parents might be warranted, to enhance adult mental well-being later on in the life course.
Type: | Article |
---|---|
Title: | Childhood correlates of adult positive mental well-being in three British longitudinal studies |
Location: | England |
Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
DOI: | 10.1136/jech-2019-213709 |
Publisher version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jech-2019-213709 |
Language: | English |
Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
Keywords: | Child health, Cohort studies, Lifecourse/Childhood Circumstances, Social and life-course epidemiology |
UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Social Research Institute |
URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10111859 |
Archive Staff Only
View Item |