Skip to main content

Psychological Distress in Teen Years Tied to Later Economic Outcomes

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Jan 17, 2025.

via HealthDay

THURSDAY, Jan. 16, 2025 -- Psychological distress in adolescence is tied to economic outcomes 10 years later, according to a study published online Jan. 16 in PLOS Medicine.

Nathaniel Z. Counts, J.D., from the Kennedy Forum in Brigantine, New Jersey, and colleagues estimated the relationship between adolescent psychological distress (ages 15 to 17 years) and health and economic outcomes approximately 10 years later. The analysis included data from 3,343 individuals participating in the National Longitudinal Study of Youth 1997.

The researchers found that past-month clinically significant psychological distress in adolescence led to a 6 percentage-point reduction in past-year labor force participation 10 years later and $5,658 fewer past-year wages earned. A hypothetical policy that expands access to mental health preventive care and reaches 10 percent of youth who would otherwise develop clinically significant psychological distress could lead to an estimated $52 billion in federal budget benefits over 10 years from labor supply impacts alone.

"By estimating the offsetting budget impacts of policies that address adolescent mental health, policymakers will be better equipped to appropriately respond to the growing adolescent mental health crisis in the United States," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

No Adverse Neurodevelopmental Effects Seen From Inhaled Anesthesia in Children Under 2

THURSDAY, Sept. 11, 2025 -- For children younger than 2 years undergoing surgery, no adverse neurodevelopmental effects are seen with the addition of dexmedetomidine and...

Dementia Odds Significantly Increase With More Psychiatric Comorbidities

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 10, 2025 -- Dementia odds significantly increase with the number of psychiatric comorbidities, according to a study published online Sept. 9 in BMJ Mental...

Single Psychedelic Dose Reduces Symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 10, 2025 -- A single dose of a pharmaceutical formulation of LSD provides significant relief for patients with moderate-to-severe generalized anxiety disorder...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.