A comprehensive neuroimaging study involving over 10,000 children aged 9-10 across the U.S. reveals that societal income inequality is linked to significant structural and functional changes in children's brains, which are associated with poorer mental health outcomes.

The researchers are interested in exploring whether similar effects are present in other countries, such as the UK, where high-income inequality exists in areas like London, and they plan to conduct future regional studies to investigate these impacts further.

Potential policy solutions to address these issues include progressive taxation, social safety nets, universal healthcare, and community-building initiatives aimed at reducing societal inequality.

Experts highlight that the brain changes observed could have long-lasting effects on emotional regulation and attention, increasing the risk of mental health problems later in life.

The study suggests that feelings of status anxiety and social comparison in unequal societies elevate stress hormone levels, which negatively impact brain development and overall health.

Living in an unequal society is hypothesized to heighten social status anxiety and social comparison, disrupting cortisol levels and contributing to neurobiological changes.

Income inequality was assessed by examining how evenly income is distributed across states, with higher inequality observed in states like New York, California, and Florida, compared to more equal states such as Utah and Vermont.

MRI scans from the ABCD study were used to analyze brain changes, with inequality measured by a Gini coefficient-based score; states with higher inequality showed more pronounced brain alterations.

Inequality was quantified on a scale from 0 (perfect equality) to 1 (maximum inequality), with states like New York, California, and Florida scoring higher, indicating greater inequality, while Utah, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Vermont showed more equality.