The Role of Income Inequality in Adolescent Mental Health: A Dual Perspective from Economics and Psychology

This assignment is for research of ISS research methods class 

(interdiciplinary social science) 

Please use all sources provided and vocabulary that pertains to the class.

Outline:

 

I. Introduction

   A. Overview of the
study’s focus on the relationship between income inequality and adolescent
mental health.

   B. Significance of
examining both economic and psychological factors in this context.

 

II. Economic Factors and Adolescent Mental Health

   A. Impact of
Parental Income Disparities

      1. Investigating
how income disparities within families affect adolescent mental well-being.

      2. Analyzing the
economic stressors and resources associated with different income levels.

 

   B. Educational
Inequalities and Psychological Stress

      1. Examining the
psychological effects of disparities in educational opportunities.

      2. Exploring the
link between educational inequalities and adolescent mental health outcomes.

 

III. Psychosocial Dynamics in Adolescent Social Status

   A. Peer Influence
and Social Comparison

      1. Assessing how
peer relationships and social comparisons contribute to psychological stress.

      2. Understanding
the role of social dynamics in shaping adolescent mental health perceptions.

 

   B. Social Media,
Status, and Self-Esteem

      1. Investigating
the impact of social media on adolescents’ perceptions of social status.

      2. Analyzing the
relationship between online interactions, self-esteem, and mental health

 

IV. Intersectionality in Adolescent Mental Health

   A. Examining Unique
Challenges for Marginalized Groups

      1. Discussing
how adolescents at the intersection of socioeconomic and cultural identities
face distinct challenges.

      2. Analyzing how
these intersectional factors influence mental health outcomes.

 

V. Intervention Strategies for Addressing Adolescent Mental
Health Disparities

   A. Developing
School-Based Programs

      1. Proposing
integrated interventions within educational settings.

      2. Highlighting
the potential of school-based programs to address both economic and
psychological factors.

 

   B. Policy
Recommendations

      1. Advocating
for policies that address income disparities and psychological stressors in
adolescence.

      2. Emphasizing
the need for a holistic approach in public policy.

 

VI. Conclusion

   A. Summarizing key
findings related to income inequality and adolescent mental health.

   B. Emphasizing the
importance of interdisciplinary research to inform effective interventions.

 

Sources

 

Elgar, F. J.,
Gariepy, G., & Dirks, M. (2019). Early-Life Exposure to Income Inequality
and Adolescent Bullying-Reply. JAMA Pediatrics, 173(12), 1212-.
https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.3974

 

The article focuses
on the necessity for comprehensive studies optimizing medication dosage in
treating ADHD, balancing therapeutic benefits with potential adverse effects.
This resonates with our assignment’s emphasis on developing effective
intervention strategies for addressing mental health disparities in
adolescence. By paralleling the importance of clinical efficacy in medication
studies, our research aligns with the article’s call for real-world clinical
studies. This mutual focus on optimizing mental health outcomes and recognizing
the consequences of suboptimal interventions strengthens the relevance of the
article to our assignment on income inequality’s impact on adolescent mental
health.

 

Fatori, D., Bordin,
I. A., Curto, B. M., & de Paula, C. S. (2013). Influence of psychosocial
risk factors on the trajectory of mental health problems from childhood to
adolescence: a longitudinal study. BMC Psychiatry, 13(1), 31–31.
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-13-31

 

This article goes
over the importance of recognizing the long-term impact of risk factors on
childhood and adolescent mental health. This aligns with our exploration of
income inequality’s multifaceted influence, emphasizing the need for targeted
intervention and prevention strategies. The study’s call for more research
resonates with our aim to contribute insights into the complex relationship
between income inequality and adolescent mental health, focusing on the shared
objective of informing effective interventions for diverse populations.

 

Benny, C.,
Senthilselvan, A., Patte, K. A., Smith, B. T., Veugelers, P. J., Leatherdale,
S. T., & Pabayo, R. (2023). Income inequality and mental health in
adolescents during COVID-19, results from COMPASS 2018–2021. PloS One, 18(10),
e0293195–e0293195. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0293195

 

The study highlights a heightened association between income
inequality and increased anxiety symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. The
findings underscore the direct applicability of such insights to inform
policies, aligning with our focus on intervention strategies for addressing
mental health disparities. Moreover, the study’s contribution to the literature
regarding COVID-19 and income inequality parallels our aim to explore the
multifaceted impacts of socioeconomic factors on adolescent mental health
outcomes.

 

Keyes, C. L. M.
(2006). Mental Health in Adolescence: Is America’s Youth Flourishing? American
Journal of Orthopsychiatry
, 76(3), 395–402.
https://doi.org/10.1037/0002-9432.76.3.395

 

This study proposes
a novel approach to assess adolescent mental health and discovers that
flourishing is more prevalent among younger participants, shifting to moderate
mental health in older youth. The findings emphasize the importance of positive
mental health, showcasing a correlation between economic disparities and
psychological well-being in adolescents.

 

Reynolds, A. D.,
& Crea, T. M. (2015). Peer influence processes for youth delinquency and
depression. Journal of Adolescence (London, England.), 43(1),
83–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2015.05.013

 

This study emphasizes three key findings: alter depression
predicts individual delinquency, individual differences influence
susceptibility to peer influences, and network factors impact youth behaviors.
It underscores the need for interventions to consider the nuanced role of peer
networks, fucusing on understanding diverse influences on adolescent mental
health.

 

Weinberg, D.,
Stevens, G. W. J. M., Duinhof, E. L., & Finkenauer, C. (2019). Adolescent
Socioeconomic Status and Mental Health Inequalities in the Netherlands,
2001-2017. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health,
16(19), 3605-.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16193605

 

This study examines
the impact of parental socioeconomic status, adolescent subjective, and
educational level on adolescent mental health, revealing nuanced associations.
While lower adolescent subjective and educational level independently correlate
with mental health issues, parental SES does not. The interplay of SES
indicators influences mental health outcomes, highlighting the buffering effect
of high subjective SES on adolescents with low parental SES. These findings
suggest the importance of considering all three SES indicators for effective
interventions targeting adolescents at risk.

 

Evans, C. R., &
Erickson, N. (2019). Intersectionality and depression in adolescence and early
adulthood: A MAIHDA analysis of the national longitudinal study of adolescent
to adult health, 1995–2008. Social Science & Medicine (1982), 220,
1–11.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.10.019

 

This study employs
an innovative MAIHDA modeling approach to extend conventional intersectional
models of depression, exploring a broader range of identities such as gender,
racial/ethnic backgrounds, immigration status, and family income. The findings
reveal significant inequalities in depression across adolescence and young
adulthood within various social strata. Notably, most of the variation in these
outcomes occurs at the individual level within strata, emphasizing the
limitations of using social identity clusters to predict clinical depression.
The MAIHDA approach offers a clearer visualization of inequality patterns
between strata, providing reliable estimates that can inform future studies on
mental health inequalities.

 

Hall, G. C. N.,
Berkman, E. T., Zane, N. W., Leong, F. T. L., Hwang, W.-C., Nezu, A. M., Nezu,
C. M., Hong, J. J., Chu, J. P., & Huang, E. R. (2021). Reducing mental
health disparities by increasing the personal relevance of interventions. The
American Psychologist
, 76(1), 91–103.
https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000616

 

This study introduces the Precision-Medicine, Theory- and
Evidence-Based Model for personalized treatments, emphasizing the need to
simultaneously consider universal, group, and individual influences in
addressing health disparities. The recommendations include implementing dynamic
sizing to assess intervention relevance, identifying moderators influencing
personal relevance, and employing social neuroscience methods to explore
nuanced aspects of personal relevance. The study encourages future research collaboration
between clinical scientists and neuroscientists to enhance treatment
effectiveness by examining process-level variables using neuroimaging. Going
over mental health interventions

 

Addae, E. A. (2020).
The mediating role of social capital in the relationship between socioeconomic
status and adolescent wellbeing: evidence from Ghana. BMC Public Health,
20(1), 20–20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-8142-x

 

This study emphasizes the influence of the social
environment, particularly social capital within family and school contexts, on
the well-being of adolescents from low socioeconomic status families in Low-
and Middle-Income Countries. It highlights that social capital is more pivotal
for adolescents’ well-being outcomes than their SES, revealing significant
policy implications for educational strategies to consider students’
socioeconomic circumstances. The findings underscore the protective role of
social capital and advocate for an integrated public health approach involving
families and schools. In the context of the assignment, this research
contributes insights into the multifaceted relationship between socioeconomic
factors, social capital, and adolescent well-being, aligning with the broader
exploration of income inequality and mental health disparities.

 

Ponnet, K. (2014).
Financial Stress, Parent Functioning and Adolescent Problem Behavior: An
Actor–Partner Interdependence Approach to Family Stress Processes in Low-,
Middle-, and High-Income Families. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 43(10),
1752–1769. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-014-0159-y

 

The study investigates the impact of financial hardship on
adolescent physical and mental health, with a focus on the mechanisms involved.
Using an actor–partner interdependence approach, it explores how financial
stress experienced by both mothers and fathers influences adolescent problem
behavior in families with varying income levels. The research uncovers distinct
patterns in family stress processes based on income, highlighting direct and
indirect effects in low-income families and only indirect effects in middle- to
high-income families. Importantly, the study emphasizes the role of parent
gender and advocates for the inclusion of multiple family members in future
research on family stress processes. This research contributes valuable
insights into the complex relationship between financial stress and adolescent
adjustment across different income groups, shedding light on income
inequality’s implications for mental health.

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