Job Loss Hurts the Little Ones' Pysches, Too

Family finances and the breadwinners' self-esteem aren't the only things that have suffered because of the widespread layoffs that have marked the Great Recession.

Children in families where parents have lost jobs also are struggling – with behavioral issues and stress-induced disorders, and could face longer-term effects, The New York Times reports in today's newspaper. 

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“The extent that job
 losers are stressed and emotionally disengaged or withdrawn, this really matters for kids. The other thing that matters is parental conflict. That has been shown repeatedly in psychological studies to be a bad family dynamic.”

– Developmental psychologist Ariel Kalil, director of New York University’s Center for Human Potential and Public Policy

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The article also cites a recent study bythe University of California, Davis that found children in families where the head of the household had lost a job were 15% more likely to repeat a grade. Another earlier study found that adolescent children of low-income single mothers who endured unemployment had an increased chance of dropping out of school and showed declines in emotional well-being.

To read the entire article, click here.