The Relationship Between Financial Worries and Psychological Distress Among U.S. Adults

• Published in: Journal of family and economic issues Vol. 44; no. 1; pp. 16 - 33
• Main Authors: Ryu, Soomin, Fan, Lu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-03-2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adults; Counseling; Employment; Employment status; Family; Health education; Health promotion; Households; Low income groups; Marital status; Mental disorders; Mental health; Original Paper; Perceptions; Personal health; Personality and Social Psychology; Psychological distress; Psychological well being; Public health; Regression analysis; Social Policy; Social Sciences; Sociology; Stress; Tenants; Unemployed people; Vulnerability; Financial worries; Psychological distress; Financial strains; Mental health
• ISSN: 1058-0476; 1573-3475
• DOI: 10.1007/s10834-022-09820-9

This study examines the association between financial worries and psychological distress among US adults and tests its moderating effects by gender, marital status, employment status, education, and income levels. Data were derived from the cross-sectional 2018 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) of the adult population. The hierarchical regression analysis revealed that higher financial worries were significantly associated with higher psychological distress. Additionally, the association between financial worries and psychological distress was more pronounced among the unmarried, the unemployed, lower-income households, and renters than their counterparts. The findings suggest that accessible financial counseling programs and public health intervention programs are needed to mitigate financial worries and its negative influences on overall psychological health, with greater attention devoted to vulnerable populations.