What if we could eliminate child poverty : The theoretical effect on child psychosocial morbidity

• Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Vol. 31; no. 5; pp. 303 - 307
• Main Authors: LIPMAN, E. L, OFFORD, D. R, BOYLE, M. H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Springer 01-09-1996
• Subjects: Adolescent; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child Behavior Disorders - epidemiology; Child Behavior Disorders - prevention & control; Female; Humans; Learning Disorders - epidemiology; Learning Disorders - prevention & control; Male; Medical sciences; Mental Disorders - epidemiology; Mental Disorders - prevention & control; Ontario - epidemiology; Poverty - prevention & control; Poverty - statistics & numerical data; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Risk Factors; Social psychiatry. Ethnopsychiatry; Sociocultural environment; Ontario; Human; Academic achievement; Social status; School age; Poverty; Adolescent; Risk factor; Mental disorder; Child; Social behavior disorder
• ISSN: 0933-7954; 1433-9285
• DOI: 10.1007/BF00787925

The aim of this study was to examine the attributable risk of low income for child psychosocial morbidity. Data on 1,996 6- to 16-year-old participants from the Ontario Child Health Study, a province-wide cross-sectional study done in 1983, were used. Out-comes measured included psychiatric disorders, poor school performance, chronic health problems, and social impairment. The attributable risk for low income and child psychosocial morbidity was generally small except among selected disorders in younger children. The implications of these findings are discussed.