How Household Economic Stress Matters: Family Functioning and Child Externalizing and Internalizing Behaviors

This dissertation investigates the multifaceted dynamics of long-term economic stress and its association with subsequent caregiver psychological well-being and children's internalizing and externalizing behaviors. For a comprehensive measure of household economic stress, this dissertation delves into the severity, duration, and fluctuation of economic stress, considering diverse income and asset profiles. The research framework utilizes and integrates a range of existing theories to create a context for understanding the intricate interplay between economic stress, caregiver mental health, and children's behavioral outcomes. Data are drawn from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, which includes both information about household economic stress and child and caregiver well-being. This study finds that different kinds and combinations of economic stress have different associations with caregiver and child behaviors. These findings suggest the importance of family-based policies and interventions, which are able to address economic and non-economic needs across generations for economically vulnerable populations.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Social Work

Year dc:date.available

2024

Author dc:creator

• Chen, Jun-Hong

Contributors dc:contributor

• Brett Drake

• Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Social Work

Statement dc:rights

• I have not registered my thesis with the U.S. Copyright Office, and do not intend to.

Language dc:language

English (en)

Identifier

https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/brown_etds/38

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:openscholarship.wustl.edu:brown_etds-1037