Economic Inequality is Associated with Long-Term Harm on Adolescent Well-Being in China

Abstract

Economic inequality has been found to be detrimental to psychological well-being. However, previous studies were mostly based on cross-sectional data, drew exclusively on adults, and confined to Western developed countries. To address these shortcomings, the current study investigated the longitudinal association of income inequality with adolescent psychological well-being in a non-Western developing economy (i.e., China). We used the China Family Panel Studies data set with a representative sample of 3,042 adolescents (Mage = 12.59) from 20 provinces in China. Analyses showed that adolescents in more unequal provinces had lower happiness and more psychological distress. The associations between economic inequality and well-being varied across adolescents from different socioeconomic strata.