Poverty harms children's mental health

What the research found

A 2013 systematic review looked at 55 studies of children and adolescents aged 4 to 18. Fifty-two found an inverse relationship between socioeconomic status and mental health problems. The studies measured status in different ways, including household income, poverty, parental education, parental occupation and family affluence.

WHO says early negative experiences, including poverty, increase the risk of mental illness in children and adolescents. A 2014 review of the social determinants of mental health, covering all life stages, found that the poor and disadvantaged suffer disproportionately from common mental disorders. People in the middle of the social gradient are affected too.

What it doesn’t mean

• The evidence describes a consistent link and a higher risk. It does not show that poverty alone causes a mental health problem in any one child. The rating of 2 reflects this: the findings are consistent, but they come from one systematic review, one WHO statement and one general review.
• Poverty raises risk. It does not mean a child will develop a mental health condition, and children in well-off families can struggle too.
• If you are worried about your child's mood, behaviour or sleep, talk to your GP or child health nurse. Support is worth seeking whatever the family's income.