Children living in more costly homes have fewer mental health problems – study

Children who are brought up in more expensive homes have fewer mental health problems than those from cheaper houses, research has found. They are less likely to suffer from anxiety and low mood and also more likely to get on well with their peers, researchers at University College London (UCL) found. While the link between overall wealth and mental wellbeing is well established, the findings highlight the key role that the value of a family’s home plays in a child’s development. Dr Ludovica Gambaro and Dr Vanessa Moulton, from UCL’s Centre for Longitudinal Studies, looked at a range of wealth indicators of the families of 8,500 children, all born around 2000, who are taking part in the internationally respected Millennium Cohort Study.