Multigenerational Coresidence and Psychological Distress during Adolescence and Young Adulthood: An Exploration among White, Black, and Hispanic Individuals.

Abstract

Childhood family structures are crucial for long-term health and well-being. However, the effects of an increasingly common family structure-multigenerational households comprising a child, parent(s), and grandparent(s)-remained underexplored. Using panel data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 and its young adult sample (N = 8,230), we examine trajectories of psychological distress among White, Black, and Hispanic adolescents and young adults across three dimensions of early life multigenerational coresidence: presence, duration, and onset. We find that Hispanic children who lived in multigenerational households, especially those beginning coresidence before age 1, reported steeper declines in distress and improved mental health over time. By contrast, multigenerational coresidence was consistently associated with higher distress levels among White adolescents and young adults. We do not find evidence of an association between multigenerational coresidence and Black children's mental health trajectories. These findings highlight potential racial patterns and add to our understanding of racial disparities in health.