Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Date

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Public Health

Committee Chair

Marian Levy

Committee Member

Latrice Pichon

Committee Member

Meredith Ray

Committee Member

Wesley James

Abstract

Youth mental health and violence have emerged as critical public health concerns, with increasing rates of anxiety, depression, behavioral problems, and youth violence in recent years. Household composition plays a crucial role in shaping child mental health outcomes, yet research has largely focused on single-parent and stepparent households, with limited attention to grandparent-headed households. This dissertation explores the relationship between household composition and child mental health, with a particular focus on anxiety, depression, behavioral problems, and experiences with violence. Using data from the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) 2018-2019 and 2021-2022 (n=53,267), this research employs logistic regression models to examine how different household structures impact mental health and behavioral outcomes in children aged 3-17. This dissertation consists of three interrelated papers. The first paper investigates the association between grandparent-headed households and youth violence, analyzing the role of financial instability, limited parental involvement, and emotional distress in shaping violent behaviors or victimization risks among children in these households. The second paper examines the relationship between household composition and child mental health, comparing children from two-parent (non-married), single-parent, and grandparent-headed households to those from two-parent (married) households to identify how family structure influences anxiety, depression, and behavioral problems. The third paper focuses on bullying behaviors, exploring how household composition affects both the likelihood of being bullied and engaging in bullying. It also considers how demographic factors such as gender, race, and number of children in the household moderate these relationships.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

PDF

Notes

Open access.

Download

Share

COinS