UC Merced Undergraduate Research Journal

In the United States, mental health disorders are an issue that is quickly becoming more prevalent. This is especially true in children between ages three and seventeen. According to the article “Children’s mental health” by Ashley Abramson, approximately one in five of these children have a mental health disorder, and these rates have been worsened by the recent pandemic. (Abramson, 2022) Besides events such as a pandemic, a child’s family’s income level can have an impact on their mental health. It is important to know how the socioeconomic status of children and their families influences their chances of developing depression or anxiety. Understanding how parental stress, financial stress, and living conditions affect children’s mental health allows for intervention for those children. According to the article “Prevention and early intervention in youth mental health” by Marco Colizzi et al., having early intervention for thesechildren can improve academic performance and decrease the risk of developing mental health issues. It also has long-term benefits, such as decreasing the likelihood of developing substance abuse and behavioral health problems (Marco Colizzi et al., 2020).