来自美国西北大学的一项最新研究表明，在学术和社交领域获得成功的来自低收入家庭的年轻人，其往往会在自身健康上付出代价，相关研究刊登于国际杂志PNAS上；低收入家庭的儿童接受完整的教育程度较低，健康状况较差，同时相对于富裕家庭的儿童而言犯罪率较高。

　　为了改善这种不平等，决策者往往会增加一些政策来为低收入家庭的儿童提供较多的技能学习机会，同时还制定策略来帮助这些儿童锻炼自控能力，包括乐观主义和耐力等，他们希望这些机体特性可以帮助低收入家庭的儿童更好地抵制诱惑，不断完善自身的素质。

　　研究者Gregory E. Miller教授说道，新兴数据表明，对于低收入年轻人而言，自我控制是一把双刃剑，其可以促进学术成功和心理社会适应，同时也会破坏机体健康；文章中研究者重点对大约300名非美国裔的农村青少年进行研究，研究阶段从这些个体从青春期到成年期，研究者发现，有较高自控水平或者有远期目标的青少年在多种心理素质表现上要优于年轻人的表现。

　　同时研究者还分析了研究对象在成年期的细胞衰老的指标，Miller表示，我们发现心理上较为成功的青少年，即自控水平较高的个体，机体中往往含有相对于个体实际年龄更老的细胞，换句话说，自控水平较高的个体或许会付出其健康的成本来换取自身的成功。随着青年弱势群体争取良好的生活时，其往往会克服多种困难并且完成多种要求，包括在资源匮乏的学校学习、家庭教育缺乏以及管理社会认同威胁等，这些挑战对于非洲裔美国人尤其如此。

　　随后研究者观察了反映机体健康状态的一些因素，比如压力和肥胖等，研究者表示，驾驭挑战需要强烈且持续性的自我控制力，这在机体行为和代谢上都要求维持，而发挥自控能力往往会诱发压力激素的释放；本文研究对于开发弹性模型具有一定的意义，对于开发改进社会和种族差异性的干预措施也具有实际的应用价值。

　　doi:10.1073/pnas.1505063112

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　　Self-control forecasts better psychosocial outcomes but faster epigenetic aging in low-SES youth

　　Gregory E. Millera,1, Tianyi Yub, Edith Chena, and Gene H. Brodyb

　　There are persistent socioeconomic disparities in many aspects of child development in America. Relative to their affluent peers, children of low socioeconomic status (SES) complete fewer years of education, have a higher prevalence of health problems, and are convicted of more criminal offenses. Based on research indicating that low self-control underlies some of these disparities, policymakers have begun incorporating character-skills training into school curricula and social services. However, emerging data suggest that for low-SES youth, self-control may act as a “double-edged sword,” facilitating academic success and psychosocial adjustment, while at the same time undermining physical health. Here, we examine this hypothesis in a five-wave study of 292 African American teenagers from rural Georgia. From ages 17 to 20 y, we assessed SES and self-control annually, along with depressive symptoms, substance use, aggressive behavior, and internalizing problems. At age 22 y, we obtained DNA methylation profiles of subjects’ peripheral blood mononuclear cells. These data were used to measure epigenetic aging, a methylation-derived biomarker reflecting the disparity between biological and chronological aging. Among high-SES youth, better mid-adolescent self-control presaged favorable psychological and methylation outcomes. However, among low-SES youth, self-control had divergent associations with these outcomes. Self-control forecasted lower rates of depressive symptoms, substance use, aggressive behavior, and internalizing problems but faster epigenetic aging. These patterns suggest that for low-SES youth, resilience is a “skin-deep” phenomenon, wherein outward indicators of success can mask emerging problems with health. These findings have conceptual implications for models of resilience, and practical implications for interventions aimed at ameliorating social and racial disparities..