Mediating effects of social support and socioeconomic status on the association between childhood interpersonal adversity and adulthood mental health in Japan

Abstract

In this study, we examined how the impact of child adversity on adulthood mental health is mediated by perceived social support and socioeconomic status (SES) in Japan, using micro data collected from surveys conducted in four municipalities in the Tokyo metropolitan area (N = 3,305). We focused on the self-reported experience of parental maltreatment and bullying in school. Our moderation analysis revealed that perceived social support and SES mediated 9-21% and 6-13%, respectively, of the impact of child adversity on selected mental health variables. The results highlight the mediating roles of social support and SES on the impact of adverse events in childhood on adulthood mental health. However, a large proportion of the impact is unexplained by either social support or SES, underscoring the need for reducing risks of parental maltreatment and bullying in school.Child adversity, Social support, Socioeconomic status, Adulthood mental health, Mediation analysis, Japan