Intelligence differences may explain the link between childhood psychological problems and adult socioeconomic status

Abstract

By using prospective data collected from 17,000 children tracked from birth to age 50 y, Goodman et al. (1) showed that childhood emotional maladjustment may profoundly affect social mobility. The authors estimate the lifetime net family income loss of such emotional problems to be in the region of £388,000 ($640,000). This figure provides a clear economic rationale for intervening to attempt to ameliorate psychological problems in the early years of life. However, it is possible that the emotional maladjustment observed could be a proxy for other important unexamined psychological determinants of adult socioeconomic status. Previous studies suggest that childhood intelligence is a powerful predictor of adult socioeconomic …