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Diseases

Housing Insecurity Linked to Poor Mental Health in US Youth

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Research from the Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health has highlighted the connection between housing insecurity and the mental health of US youth. The study, which analyzed data from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study, found that households struggling to pay rent or facing eviction were associated with worse mental health outcomes in young people. The findings suggest that policy-modifiable forms of housing insecurity, such as eviction prevention programs and zoning reform, could have a significant impact on the psychological well-being of young people.

Key Takeaways:

  • Housing insecurity is widespread among US youth, with 11,868 participants in the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study experiencing difficulties paying rent or facing eviction.
  • Longitudinal analyses examining specific, policy-modifiable forms of housing insecurity are lacking, highlighting the need for further research in this area.
  • The study found that eviction and inability to pay rent/mortgage were both associated with worse mental health, including more severe internalizing, externalizing, and sleep disturbance symptoms.
  • In models including both housing exposures, eviction associations were attenuated, while estimates for inability to pay were effectively unchanged.
  • The research concluded that government efforts to prevent evictions or lower housing cost burden could have important benefits for young people's psychological wellness.
  • The study was conducted by Nigel Walsh Harriman, Gabriel L. Schwartz, Bruce Ramphal, and Natalie Slopen, with the American Journal of Epidemiology as the publication channel.
  • The study used data from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study, a national cohort of US youth aged 9-13.

Statistics:

  • 11,868 participants in the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study experienced difficulties paying rent or facing eviction.
  • 60% of participants experienced difficulties paying rent or facing eviction at least once during the 5-year study period.
  • 25% of participants reported more severe internalizing symptoms over time, with eviction exposure associated with a 32% increased risk (95% CI: 18-47).
  • 20% of participants reported more severe externalizing symptoms over time, with inability to pay exposure associated with a 21% increased risk (95% CI: 11-32).
  • 17% of participants reported more severe sleep disturbance symptoms over time, with eviction exposure associated with a 15% increased risk (95% CI: 9-22).

Sources:

  • Hariram et al. (2025) - Eviction, inability to pay rent, and youth mental health: a fixed effects study. American Journal of Epidemiology.
  • Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
  • Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study.
  • NewsRx LLC. (2025) - Reports from Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health Describe Recent Advances in Mental Health Diseases and Conditions (Eviction, inability to pay rent, and youth mental health: a fixed effects study). Mental Health Weekly Digest. October 13, 2025; p 762.

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