Intergenerational educational mobility and mental health: evidence from a Filipino birth cohort

Evidence suggests that associations between educational attainment and mental health may vary according to educational mobility (i.e., changes in educational attainment across generations). This evidence is largely limited to high-income countries. Using data from an ongoing birth cohort (Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey), we assessed the associations with mental health for both own educational attainment and intergenerational educational mobility (i.e., the difference in educational attainment between parents during pregnancy and the offspring aged 18 and 35 years) in 2,038 Filipino individuals. Primary mental health outcomes were depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation and psychological distress at age 35 years, with the former two measures used as secondary outcomes at age 18 years. We used logistic regression models, adjusting for sex and urbanicity at birth. Lower levels of educational attainment at age 35 years were associated with higher odds of depressive symptoms (Odds Ratio (OR): 1.68; 95% CI: 1.11-2.52) and psychological distress (OR: 1.54; 95% CI: 1.09-2.17), but confidence intervals for suicidal ideation crossed the null (OR: 1.43; 95% CI: 0.91-2.26). Participants who had lower educational attainment than their parents at age 35 years (downward educational mobility) had higher odds of depressive symptoms compared to participants where both they and their parents had higher levels of educational attainment (OR: 3.12; 95% CI: 1.46-6.66). There was no statistical evidence of this association for the other outcomes. We also did not find statistical evidence that upward educational mobility was associated with mental health outcomes. Filipino individuals who had lower educational attainment than their parents showed higher levels of depressive symptoms compared to those whose parents and own education were both in the higher education category. We found limited evidence of these associations for other measured mental health outcomes.