Lower rates of depression in intact, married homes

In a recent report for the Institute for Family Studies and the American Enterprise Institute, we found that 3.4% of children ages 6–17 in intact, married households had parent-reported diagnosed depression, compared with 7.9% of children in other family structures. Depression was most common among children in single-mother households, married stepfamilies, and households with no parent present. After controls for race, income, sex, and parent education, children in non-intact or unmarried-parent households were twice as likely to have a depression diagnosis. This underscores the importance of tracking and reporting family structure as a key variable in student well-being.

by Grant Bailey