Socioeconomic Status, Protective Factors, and Mental Health Problems in Transition from Adolescence to Emerging Adulthood: Results of the Longitudinal BELLA Study

Jenny Maurer; Ann-Katrin Meyrose; Anne Kaman; Elvira Mauz; Ulrike Ravens-Sieberer; Franziska Reiss

doi:10.1007/s10578-023-01582-1

Socioeconomic Status, Protective Factors, and Mental Health Problems in Transition from Adolescence to Emerging Adulthood: Results of the Longitudinal BELLA Study

Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2023 Aug 26. doi: 10.1007/s10578-023-01582-1. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Jenny Maurer^{1

2}, Ann-Katrin Meyrose^{1

3}, Anne Kaman¹, Elvira Mauz⁴, Ulrike Ravens-Sieberer⁵, Franziska Reiss¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
² Developmental and Educational Psychology, Helmut Schmidt University, University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
³ Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Helmut Schmidt University, University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
⁴ Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany.
⁵ Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany. ravens-sieberer@uke.de.

PMID: 37632556
DOI: 10.1007/s10578-023-01582-1

Abstract

Lower familial socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with more mental health problems in adolescence. The aim of this study was to identify factors that may protect adolescents from families with lower SES from developing mental health problems in emerging adulthood. Data of the population-based longitudinal BELLA study included n = 426 participants aged 13 to 17 years at t0 (2009-2012) and 18 to 24 years at t1 (2014-2017). Hierarchical multiple linear regressions with interaction terms were conducted, examining three selected protective factors (self-efficacy, family climate, and social support). Self-efficacy had a small protective effect for adolescents from families with lower SES for mental health problems in emerging adulthood. However, social support had a small protective effect for adolescents from families with higher SES. No moderating effect was found for family climate. Instead, better family climate in adolescents predicted fewer mental health problems in emerging adulthood with a small effect regardless the SES in adolescence. Results indicate the need for prevention measures for adolescents from families with lower SES for becoming mentally healthy emerging adults.

Keywords: Resources; Self-efficacy; Social support; Socioeconomic disparities; Socioeconomic inequality.