Grant: Operating Grant: Data Analysis Using Existing CDN Databases and Cohorts

Depression impacts many people's lives. Research has found that children of depressed mothers tend to have worse outcomes than those without depressed mothers. In particular, these children have worse mental health when they become adults. However, few studies have studied whether this is also the case for socioeconomic outcomes, such as attendance of university, individual income, and being on social assistance. Using survey data and tax records from Canada and appropriate statistical methods, this work will study whether children of depressed mothers are more likely to not attend university, have lower income and/or receive social assistance when they are adults and how this occurs. Special attention will be paid to whether there are differences by children's sex and race/ethnicity, mothers' socioeconomic status (income, education), household type (single vs. two-parent households; single child vs. presence of siblings), and frequency of periods of depression among mothers. This work will be important to inform the design of interventions that target mothers' mental health as well as children's health and development.