Although the detrimental effects of poverty on child mental health are well established, questions remain as to which aspects of poverty matter most and which mechanisms account for the association. This study tested the relative influence of depth of current poverty and poverty duration on child anxiety/depression and antisocial behavior, then evaluated whether parenting practices mediated observed associations. Data come from four waves of the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (1994–2000), with analysis restricted to children who were aged 2 to 5 at initial interview and lived with both biological parents throughout (n = 1,901). Depth of current poverty was associated with child anxiety/depression, whereas persistent poverty was associated with child antisocial behavior. Parenting behaviors were significant predictors but did not mediate the association between poverty dynamics and child mental health. The research and policy implications of these findings are discussed.

中文翻译：

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加拿大的贫困动态，育儿和儿童心理健康

尽管贫困对儿童心理健康的有害影响已得到充分证实，但仍然存在以下问题：贫困的哪些方面最重要，哪种机制造成了这种关联。这项研究测试了当前贫困深度和贫困持续时间对儿童焦虑/抑郁和反社会行为的相对影响，然后评估了养育子女的行为是否介导了观察到的联想。数据来自加拿大全国儿童和青少年纵向调查的四次调查（1994-2000年），分析仅限于初次面试时年龄为2至5岁并与两个亲生父母同住的儿童（n = 1,901）。当前贫困的深度与儿童的焦虑/抑郁有关，而持续贫困与儿童的反社会行为有关。育儿行为是重要的预测指标，但并未介导贫困动态与儿童心理健康之间的联系。讨论了这些发现的研究和政策含义。