Session: Social Determinants of Adolescent Mental Health and Well-Being
Young carers’ mental health during and after the Covid-19 pandemic: variation by gender, ethnicity, income and peer, school or social support (Rebecca Lacey, City St George’s, University of London)
Young carers are an often overlooked group of carers, with little longitudinal research on their mental health, particularly regarding variations across demographics and support systems.
Here we used the COSMO study of >13,000 young people aged 16-18 in England to examine self-reported young caring in relation to mental health outcomes, including psychological distress, anxiety, depression and chronic mental illnesses. We explored modification by ethnicity, gender, household income, special educational needs, parental composition, perceived school support for mental health, peer support and social support.
Young carers reported 1.69 higher odds of chronic mental illness (95% CI: 1.35, 2.12) and more depressive (B=0.20, 95% CI: 0.07, 0.33) and anxiety symptoms (B=0.15, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.29).
Associations did not vary by gender, ethnicity, income or peer, school or social support.
How does attainment in high stakes exams affect mental health? Evidence from the Millennium Cohort Study and National Pupil Database (Nicolas Libuy, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez)
This paper examines whether attainment in high-stakes GCSE exams at age 16 is associated with mental health at age 17 in England. We use linked data from the Millennium Cohort Study and the National Pupil Database, combining official records on GCSE performance in Maths and English with survey measures of behavioural difficulties, psychological distress, and wellbeing. To reduce confounding, we adjust for rich background characteristics, prior attainment, cognitive ability, school factors, and prior mental health. Preliminary results show a clear gradient for behavioural and emotional difficulties: higher GCSE grades are associated with lower SDQ total difficulties one year later. Associations with psychological distress are weaker, while positive links with wellbeing are more selective, especially for English attainment.
Examining the Role of Ethnicity, Sex, and Social Support in Shaping Adolescents’ Perceptions of Well-Being in the United Kingdom (Abigail Williams-Butler, Rutgers University)
Purpose: To examine ethnic differences in adolescents’ mental well-being and assess whether these differences vary by sex and levels of social support.
Methods: Analyses used Sweeps 6 and 7 of the MCS. The observed analytic sample included 7,098 adolescents and included all ethnic group adolescents. Linear regression models were used to estimate positive mental well-being and social support.
Results: Pakistani and Black African boys reported significantly higher well-being compared to White boys. Mixed-ethnicity girls reported modestly higher well-being than White girls. Ethnicity-by-sex interactions were statistically significant. Social support was strongly associated with well-being, but did not differ by ethnicity or sex.
Conclusion: Findings highlight ethnicity and sex specific differences while underscoring the importance of supportive relationships for all adolescents in the UK
The Social Gradient in Mental Health From Age 3 to 23: When Does Inequality Emerge, When Does It Widen, and What Mechanisms Drive It? (Mengya Zhao, University of Liverpool)
This study expolres the developmental origins of the socioeconomic gradient in mental health, focusing on its emergence, progression, and underlying mechanisms. Using data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study (N = 10,675), we examine emotional problems from ages 3 to 17 and psychological distress at age 23. Piecewise growth models assess when the gradient emerges and whether it widens across developmental periods, while mediation analyses test stage-specific pathways. We expect the gradient to be evident in early childhood and to widen during adolescence, driven by worsening outcomes among disadvantaged youth. This widening is anticipated to be more pronounced among girls than boys, leading to larger inequalities in women by early adulthood. Mediation analyses are expected to indicate that cumulative pathways of parental psychological distress, youth emotional problems and health behavior
