Moving Children from Very Poor Neighborhoods Has Potential to Reduce Emotional Distress in Families, Says TC's Brooks-Gunn

Results from the Moving to Opportunities Program show that moving children from very poor neighborhoods has the potential to reduce emotional distress in those children and their families, says Teachers College's Jeanne Brooks-Gunn.

Jeanne Brooks-Gunn

Moving to Opportunity Study Considers Neighborhood Effects on Children
The Moving to Opportunities study considered the effects neighborhoods have on children. It showed the possible change in a child's trajectory if he moved out of a highly-concentrated poor neighborhood, says Teachers College's Jeanne Brook-Gunn. The New York portion of the study was conducted by Columbia's National Center for Children and Families.

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Tama Leventhal

Study Shows Positive Impact on Children and Families, Say Leventhal and Brooks-Gunn
Results of the study show a large impact on the mental health of parents who moved away from low-poverty areas and fewer instances of anxiety and depression, as well as a positive impact on boys, says Tama Leventhal, a former researcher at Columbia's Center for Children and Families. The results show that moving children from very poor neighborhoods has the potential to reduce emotional distress in those children and their families, adds Brooks-Gunn.

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Related Links

• News Feature: Families Leaving NYC Public Housing Less Stressed
• The New York Times Reports on the National Study

Production Number: 156
Shot: Sep 16, 2003
Published: Nov 10, 2003
Last modified: Jan 29, 2004