Adolescent Mental Health and Young Adult Disconnection

• In Event: Mental Health

Abstract

Recent shifts in labor market conditions have prompted increased attention among scholars and policymakers to the antecedents and consequences of young adult disconnection. Disconnection, defined as neither working nor in school, has serious consequences for both individuals and society. Research documents that disconnected adults have poorer health and mental health (MH), higher risk of substance abuse, and greater reliance on government assistance. Thus, understanding the factors that precede disconnection is crucial. This study seeks to understand the role of adolescent MH in predicting disconnection among young adults. Prior work on disconnection has largely relied on cross-sectional data or on international samples, lacking important U.S. sociopolitical context. Among studies relying on U.S.-based samples, the data are drawn from older cohorts, missing critical economic shifts. Moreover, to understand the relationship between MH and disconnection, longitudinal data are needed to ensure that MH is measured before disconnection, thereby strengthening causal inference. Our data are drawn from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), a longitudinal birth cohort study that follows 4,898 children born between 1998 and 2000. The multi-wave design provides rich data on family background, early childhood experiences, K-12 schooling, and more, enabling researchers to examine factors that may influence educational and labor market trajectories in young adulthood. This paper employs multivariate logistic regression models to estimate the likelihood of disconnection in young adulthood, examining MH in adolescence as a key predictor. Our measure of adolescent MH is an indicator of whether the young adult met the criteria for depression at age 15. Models are stratified by gender and include empirically derived covariates such as school connectedness in adolescence, maternal employment and educational attainment, childhood poverty, and childhood systems involvement. Our findings indicate important differences across genders. Among men, adolescent depression is associated with significantly higher odds of disconnection in young adulthood. Additionally, structural disadvantages such as poverty and unemployment pose a significant risk for disconnection, particularly for Black men who face nearly twice the risk of their White peers. For women, adolescent depression did not increase the risk of disconnection. Rather, educational experiences, structural exposures, and family contexts were more important drivers. Women who had ever failed a grade or repeated a class by age 15 were significantly more likely to be disconnected. Similarly, those with a history of CPS contact or born to unmarried parents were significantly more likely to be disconnected in young adulthood. The findings suggest that pathways to disconnection are gendered and context-specific. Thus, policies aimed at preventing disconnection must be structured accordingly. Interventions that provide support for adolescent men with depression challenges, such as high school mental healthcare providers, may reduce later disconnection. Additionally, the expansion of job training and college prep—particularly in low-income and predominantly Black neighborhoods—may improve employment and education outcomes. For young women, focusing on engagement for those who struggle academically in adolescence can prove beneficial in the long run. Similarly, for children and adolescents with CPS involvement, adding academic support or tutoring to case planning may be beneficial.

Author

• Tia M Dickerson, Columbia University
  Presenting Author