Am J Psychiatry 1981; 138:1433-1440
Copyright © 1981 by American Psychiatric Association
Natural history of male psychological health, X: Work as a predictor of positive mental health
GE Vaillant and CO Vaillant
A sample of 456 inner city men was prospectively followed from age 14 until
age 47. Rates blind to adult outcome assessed the men's childhood success
at tasks reflecting Erikson's fourth developmental stage, industry versus
inferiority. Childhood assessments were made on the parenting the men
received and other psychosocial variables, including social class and IQ,
and were compared with independent judgments of these men's mental health
and career success at age 47. Capacity to work in childhood predicted the
success of these underprivileged men at work in adult life and surpassed
social class, multiproblem-family membership, and all other childhood
variables in predicting adult mental health and capacity for interpersonal
relationships.
