The Poverty of Affluence: Addiction to Wealth and its Effects on Well-Being

Abstract

Although children in affluent families are generally presumed to be at low risk for developmental disturbances, recent evidence suggests otherwise. Affluent children show elevated levels of depression, anxiety, and substance use when compared to national norms in preadolescent and teenage cohorts and when compared to their low-income, inner-city counterparts. These adjustment problems are directly linked to the ecological context of affluent communities, particularly parental- and peer-socialization factors. This paper briefly summarizes extant evidence, provides fresh insight into the negative effects of affluence, discusses limitations of current findings, and directions for future research.