The long-term effects of housing insecurity in young adulthood on subsequent material hardship, physiological and mental health

Economic and material hardship, including housing insecurity – limited or uncertain availability or access to safe, quality, and affordable housing – is strongly linked to negative physical and mental health outcomes among adolescents and adults. However, data limitations and the inherent selectivity of housing insecurity have hindered comprehensive analysis of its long-term effects on physiological and mental health. This study uses data from The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) to construct a sample of participants who experienced housing insecurity between the ages of 18–26 (Wave III) to a suitable control group using propensity score matching. We assess the effects of housing insecurity on (1) material hardship at Wave IV (ages 24–32), (2) allostatic load (AL) and depression symptoms at Waves IV and V (ages 33–43), and (3) the change in allostatic load and depression symptoms from Wave IV to V. Further, we evaluate whether effects differ by sex. Experiencing housing insecurity is associated with a significantly higher likelihood of experiencing material hardship at Wave IV and significantly worse depressive symptoms at both Waves IV and V. The treatment effects are more pronounced among women, with housing insecurity being linked to a significant increase in allostatic load from Wave IV to Wave V exclusively for women. Our results provide crucial support that housing insecurity is not just an outcome of economic hardship but a cause of it in the future, with downstream effects on health and well-being, particularly for women.