Two days ago, I called Dr. Suniya Luthar, a professor of clinical and developmental psychology at Columbia University, to ask how high school seniors from privileged backgrounds are holding up under the pressure of college applications. I got a more wide-ranging response than I had bargained for. According to Luthar, the incidence of anxiety, depression and drug abuse among well-heeled suburban kids is as high as it is for their inner city peers. A significant reason is the pressure these kids feel to succeed, Luthar says.
Thanks to my childhood in an affluent New York City suburb, this wasn’t all that shocking to me. But what Luthar said next was. Her newest research indicates the mothers of these children are also struggling. She’s gathered hundreds of responses to a wide-ranging survey that asks questions on topics from marriage to drug abuse. The goal: To assess the level of happiness, satisfaction, and mental health of the privileged moms of these privileged kids. Luthar plans to keep the survey open through the summer. I did it last night and it took me about a half hour.
