Multigenerational Living and Mental Health Outcomes of Working-Age Adults and Children—A Scoping Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: Household compositions can impact health-related outcomes. However, the definition of multigenerational living and its associations with mental health outcomes in adults and children are unclear.

Method: A systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. Searches were conducted in Embase, PsycInfo and Medline via OVID, PubMed and the Cochrane Library. Two raters identified 112 reports for full paper reviews and 62 papers for data extraction. Quality ratings and certainty of evidence were assessed, and data were narratively synthesised.

Results: There were 289,071 participants across studies. Ten studies recruited samples of children/young people. The average quality rating was 7.8 (out of 10) and the certainty of evidence was low. Definitions of multigenerational living and associations with mental health outcomes were heterogeneous, indicating the role of moderating factors, and a need for better operationalisation in future research.

Conclusions: Findings have implications for clinical practice when conducting assessments and formulating psychological difficulties. There are further implications for researchers and policymakers responsible for housing and healthcare provision. The broad search strategy and specification of only anxiety and depression in the search strategy are limitations of the review, despite the scoping aims. A consensus definition of multigenerational living could benefit future research.