Psychosocial Adjustment among Children Experiencing Persistent and Intermittent Family Economic Hardship

BOLGER, KERRY E.; PATTERSON, CHARLOTTE J.; THOMPSON, WILLIAM W.; and KUPERSMIDT, JANIS B. Psychosocial Adjustment among Children Experiencing Persistent and Intermittent Family Economic Hardship. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1995, 66, 1107-1129. Much research on family economic hardship and its effects on children has been cross-sectional in nature, has focused primarily on white children, and has assessed the impact of episodic rather than chronic economic difficulties. In contrast, the present research was designed to study outcomes associated with persistent economic hardship among a heterogeneous group of children over time. Results showed that, for both black and white children, a broad range of difficulties was associated with enduring economic hardship. Children who experienced persistent family economic hardship were more likely than those who did not to have difficulties in peer relations, show conduct problems at school, and report low self-esteem. Children who experienced intermittent family economic hardship fell between the other 2 groups. Connections between persistent economic hardship and psychosocial adjustment were more pronounced for boys than for girls. Consistent with suggestions by a number of investigators, the impact of economic hardship on children in the present sample was mediated in part by its association with parental behavior.