Relationship between Childhood Background and Middle Age Mental Health: Insights from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project
1
조회
0
다운로드
0
인용
0
참고문헌
키워드
초록
Objective : This study assessed how childhood background characteristics relate to midlife mental health using a multidimensional framework, examining whether positive or adverse early experiences directly influence later mental health. Methods : Data were drawn from Wave 3 of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) and included adults aged 50-64 (N=770). Mental health was modeled as a second- order latent variable including depression, anxiety, loneliness, and stress. Childhood factors included family happiness, parental education, financial status, health, family structure, and exposure to violence. Structural Equation Modeling evaluated associations with and without demographic adjustment. Analyses were performed using SAS 9.4 and Mplus 8.8. Results : Among the eight childhood variables, only happy family life (β = -.201, p < .001) and good childhood health (β = -.095, p < .05) demonstrated statistically significant beneficial effects on midlife mental health in both crude and adjusted models. Other variables—including parental education, financial hardship, and exposure to violence—did not show significant direct associations. Conclusion : Positive emotional and physical conditions in childhood are linked to better mental health in midlife. These findings suggest that strengthening supportive family environments and promoting childhood health may yield greater long-term benefits than approaches focused solely on reducing adversity. Public health strategies may therefore benefit from prioritizing the enhancement of positive early-life conditions.
Abstract
Objective : This study assessed how childhood background characteristics relate to midlife mental health using a multidimensional framework, examining whether positive or adverse early experiences directly influence later mental health. Methods : Data were drawn from Wave 3 of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) and included adults aged 50-64 (N=770). Mental health was modeled as a second- order latent variable including depression, anxiety, loneliness, and stress. Childhood factors included family happiness, parental education, financial status, health, family structure, and exposure to violence. Structural Equation Modeling evaluated associations with and without demographic adjustment. Analyses were performed using SAS 9.4 and Mplus 8.8. Results : Among the eight childhood variables, only happy family life (β = -.201, p < .001) and good childhood health (β = -.095, p < .05) demonstrated statistically significant beneficial effects on midlife mental health in both crude and adjusted models. Other variables—including parental education, financial hardship, and exposure to violence—did not show significant direct associations. Conclusion : Positive emotional and physical conditions in childhood are linked to better mental health in midlife. These findings suggest that strengthening supportive family environments and promoting childhood health may yield greater long-term benefits than approaches focused solely on reducing adversity. Public health strategies may therefore benefit from prioritizing the enhancement of positive early-life conditions.