The mental health impacts of child marriage in Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam: a longitudinal investigation

The study examined the impact of child marriage on mental health of girls in four countries (Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam) using longitudinal data from the Young Lives project. According to the research, 5% of girls in Peru to 20% in India became child brides. Girls who married in childhood showed lower life satisfaction at age 19 and during the period from 19 to 29 years. However, the analysis revealed that most differences in life satisfaction were caused by pre-existing disadvantages, such as poverty, which increase the likelihood of child marriage. Child marriage had only a small additional negative impact on life satisfaction. No differences in emotional symptoms were found between groups.