Firstly, we want to investigate the hypothesis of an intergenerational transmission of mental health disorders from parents to children once genetics are controlled for. Secondly, we want to document the potential existence of income ingradient in child's mental health. Hypotheses: (i) children's psychological health is indeed determined by parents' genetic characteristics, social conduct and socio-economisc status; (ii) being stronger the trasmission that takes places from mother to child rather than through the father; and (iii), there is an income gradient in child's mental health and it gets steeper with age. The variables we are interested in refer to measures of health status, physical health, mental health indicators and development of parents and child, and the confounding variables include age gender, economic status, education, occupation, and location primarily.

Our main milestone is to be able to produce scientific evidence that will contribute to the economics and social policy debate that is in the search of a clear proof that individuals' preferences are not choosen but shaped by parental charactiristics, i.e. mental health status, and especially mothers' emotional health state at the time of conception and afterwards. This type of research has important implications for health and social policy, where well being indicators play a crucial role.