Citation
Su, Jessica Houston (2017). Unintended Birth and Children's Long-Term Mental Health.
Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 58(3), 357-370.
Abstract
Research has examined the proximate effects of unintended birth on infants and young children, but we know relatively little about the longer-term effects. Given that unintended birth is associated with several childhood risk factors, it might set the stage for poor mental health in adulthood. Drawing on rich intergenerational survey data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1979 ( N = 3,742), this study used a variety of statistical techniques to examine whether maternal pregnancy intentions are associated with children's depressive symptoms during early adulthood. Results from ordinary least squares regression suggest that children resulting from unintended pregnancies experienced more depressive symptoms in their 20s than children resulting from intended pregnancies, controlling for a host of characteristics. Results from propensity-weighted and sibling fixed-effects models suggest that there is little to no causal relationship, however. Much of the initial association between maternal fertility intentions and children's depressive symptoms is attributed to the mother's sociodemographic characteristics.
URL
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0022146517717037Reference Type
Journal Article
Year Published
2017
Journal Title
Journal of Health and Social Behavior
Author(s)
Su, Jessica Houston
ORCiD
Su, JH - 0000-0003-3698-7807
