Childhood family income, adolescent violent criminality and substance misuse: quasi-experimental total population study. (October 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sariaslan, Amir; Larsson, Henrik; D'Onofrio, Brian; Långström, Niklas; Lichtenstein, Paul
• Is Part Of: British journal of psychiatry. Volume 205:Number 4(2014)
• Page Start: 286
• Page End: 290
• Publication Date: 2014-10
• Subjects: Psychiatry -- Periodicals; Psychology, Pathological -- Periodicals; 616.89005
• DOI: 10.1192/bjp.bp.113.136200
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0007-1250

Abstract

Abstract : Background: Low socioeconomic status in childhood is a well-known predictor of subsequent criminal and substance misuse behaviours but the causal mechanisms are questioned. Aims: To investigate whether childhood family income predicts subsequent violent criminality and substance misuse and whether the associations are in turn explained by unobserved familial risk factors. Method: Nationwide Swedish quasi-experimental, family-based study following cohorts born 1989–1993 ( n total = 526 167, n cousins = 262 267, n siblings = 216 424) between the ages of 15 and 21 years. Results: Children of parents in the lowest income quintile experienced a seven-fold increased hazard rate (HR) of being convicted of violent criminality compared with peers in the highest quintile (HR = 6.78, 95% CI 6.23–7.38). This association was entirely accounted for by unobserved familial risk factors (HR = 0.95, 95% CI 0.44–2.03). Similar pattern of effects was found for substance misuse. Conclusions: There were no associations between childhood family income and subsequent violent criminality and substance misuse once we had adjusted for unobserved familial risk factors.