Children with mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression are significantly more likely to be unemployed and claim benefits in adulthood, according to new research from the University of Aberdeen.
The study, published in Archives of Disease in Childhood, found that those affected in childhood are around twice as likely to face economic inactivity later in life compared to their peers.
Researchers reviewed evidence from the past decade and found a consistent link between early mental health challenges and poorer employment and income outcomes in adulthood.
The findings suggest that the impact of mental illness in childhood does not end in youth, but often follows individuals into adult life, shaping their ability to work and earn.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, commonly known as ADHD, was also associated in many cases with increased risk of unemployment and lower income among those in work.
The evidence around physical illness was less clear overall, but some groups, including survivors of childhood cancer and children with neurological conditions, were found to be more likely to receive benefits as adults.
At the centre of the research is a simple but serious point, that what happens in childhood does not stay in childhood when it comes to health and opportunity.
Professor Stephen Turner, Honorary Professor at the School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, said:
“By looking at all of the evidence gathered over the past 10 years, we found a consistent link between mental health problems, primarily anxiety and low mood, before the age of 18, and poorer economic outcomes in adulthood compared to unaffected peers.
“We also found evidence that ADHD in childhood was associated with increased risk for unemployment in adulthood.
“There was less robust evidence for economic outcomes in children with ongoing physical conditions, but there was evidence of increased receipt of benefits in survivors of childhood cancer.
“So, why is this the case?
“Children with mental health problems may not attend school and this educational inactivity in childhood translates into economic activity in adulthood.
“The rising number of young adults who are economically inactive is a real concern for our economy and the solution lies in helping children manage symptoms of anxiety and low mood before they become established for life.
“We suggest that childhood conditions, specifically mental illness, often persist into adulthood.
“Economic inactivity in young adults is a real problem, and the roots lie in childhood.
“We need to invest in looking after children and young people in order to have a healthy workforce to sustain the economy.
“The message here is that early detection and intervention for mental health problems in childhood benefits the child in the short and long term and also benefits the future economy.”
Dr Smita Dick, Research Fellow at the Institute of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Aberdeen, said:
“The link between childhood mental health and adult economic productivity is complex.
“It is not just limited to the child but also intergenerational factors such parental health, both physical and mental, and parental socio economic factors.”
The research points to a clear direction of travel, that supporting children earlier is not just a health issue, but an economic one that shapes the workforce of the future.
