Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion and Population Health
Population Health Research Brief Series
Unmet Needs are Associated with Increased Stress and Poor Physical and Mental Health in Early Adulthood
Colleen Heflin, Katie Green, Ying Huang, Asiya Validova
February 2021
Material hardship, such as not being able to pay bills, negatively affects both physical and mental health.
This research brief examines how different types of material hardship (difficulty paying for food, bills, and health care) are associated with self-rated health, depression, sleep problems, and suicidal thoughts among U.S. young adults (ages 24-32).