Reproduction of socioeconomic differences and mental health across generations (REMENTA)

Summary

Children of parents with low socioeconomic status do less well in school and are at risk of drop-out, low education, unemployment, and social exclusion. It is not adequately understood why social differences reproduce.

Abstract:

Children of parents with low socioeconomic status do less well in school and are at risk of drop-out, low education, unemployment, and social exclusion. It is not adequately understood why social differences reproduce. There is a close relationship between socioeconomic status and mental health that signals that mental health could be a key to understand reproduction of social differences and mobility. Our aim is to understand the role of mental health in the reproduction of socioeconomic differences.

Family members resemble each other with regard to both socioeconomic status and mental health. The intergenerational associations can be due to genetic or environmental factors shared by parents and children, or direct influences between parents and offspring. We will therefore investigate how the relationship between socioeconomic status and mental health unfolds in a new generation, and how children’s school performance are shaped by their parental background and by their own, unique mental development. We study school performance among children and adolescents because it is an important and early observable determinant of later socioeconomic status. Since partners have a tendency to have similar educational levels, some children experience risk factors in 'double doses'. We will therefore investigate whether and how partner choices have consequences for social differences in mental health.

We utilize survey and genetic data from The Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study and register data on health, demography and school performance. We will use administrative register data from the entire population of Norway. Using several research methods allow us to draw firmer conclusions if the results point in the same direction. Hopefully, we will identify modifiable risk factors that can be targeted in future interventions aimed at reducing social reproduction and improving mental health.