Spotlight on Mental Health: Disparities in psychological distress among parents of young children in New York City
The pandemic brought new attention to the mental health challenges associated with social and economic disruption. Yet even before the pandemic, New Yorkers living in poverty faced elevated rates of psychological distress. These challenges are a marker of the costs of poverty and inadequate social supports and can also be a barrier to economic mobility.
Key Findings:
During our initial Early Childhood Poverty Tracker (ECPT) survey, about a third of New York City parents reported either moderate or severe psychological distress, as measured by the Kessler-6 (K6) scale, which captures symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Nearly half of New York City parents living in poverty experienced psychological distress compared to one in five higher-income parents.
Certain types of hardship impacted mental health more than others. People who experienced financial hardship (running out of money), food hardship, or medical hardship were more likely to report psychological distress than parents who did not experience these hardships.
Access to health insurance is critical for those needing mental health care. However, among parents experiencing psychological distress and living in poverty, 45% did not have stable health insurance in the previous 12 months.
Psychological distress is widespread among New York City parents of young children. Psychological distress is one reason that economic disadvantage persists over time and across generations. Ensuring access to mental health care is essential, and it is concerning that so many parents who face psychological distress also have unstable access to health insurance. For families living in poverty or with low incomes, ensuring more stable access to health insurance, as well as alleviating material hardship and financial uncertainty, could be beneficial for parents’ mental health and for longer-term economic and social wellbeing.