It is well known that occupational development is influenced by various risk factors in youth and childhood (Caspi et al., 1998; Rutter & Madge, 1976; Spiess Huldi et al., 2006). Risk factors can be classified into external factors (environmental factors like poverty) and internal factors (factors of the persons themselves like low intelligence) (Oerter, 2001). Many of these risk factors are related to socioeconomic adversity in childhood. Socioeconomic disadvantage is associated with a variety of cofactors, such as poor living conditions or overcrowding (Ackerman et al., 1999). Children raised in socioeconomically disadvantaged families are at risk of manifesting a variety of adjustment problems, for example increased risk of poor academic achievement, which influence attainments and conditions in adulthood (Schoon et al., 2002). Furthermore, individuals of lower status are more strongly affected by adverse life events. Various studies indicate that individuals of lower socioeconomic status report a greater number of stressors related to finances, relationships and employment than those of higher socioeconomic status (i.a. Mcleod & Kessler, 1990; Lantz et al., 2005). Critical life events, such as the death of a close relative, a dysfunctional relationship between the parents or severe health issues contribute to adverse life circumstances and are associated with more severe psychological problems including psychological distress (Dohrenwend, 2000). Exposure to stress, on the other hand, is linked with a variety of deleterious health effects. Authors have related stress and major life events to a number of physical health outcomes, including mortality (Matthews & Gump, 2002).

The list of potential risk factors is long and they accumulate over time. One risk factor reinforces another, leading to a “risk trajectory” (Rutter, 1990). On the other hand, protective factors can alter the negative effects of adverse life circumstances. Research has identified three sets of variables that may weaken the impact of adverse experiences: character traits of the children themselves, characteristics of their families and aspects of the wider social context (Werner & Smith, 1992; Schoon & Bynner, 2003). 

Much of the evidence on risk factors in life is based on cross-sectional studies. Far less is known about the development of these factors over time. In addition, little is known about the influence of critical life events on occupational achievement. The aim of our contribution is to examine the long-term effects of risk factors in youth. We are interested in the question of whether persons raised in risk constellations like socioeconomic adversity or with adverse life events in childhood or early adulthood differ from their non-disadvantaged colleagues in adulthood in terms of subjective and objective career success and health.

Ackerman, B. P., Kogos, J., Youngstrom, E., Schoff, K., & Izard, C. (1999). Family instability and the problem behaviors of children from economically disadvantaged families. Developmental psychology, 35(1), 258. Caspi, A., Wright, B. R. E., Moffitt, T. E., & Silva, P. A. (1998). Early failure in the labor market: Childhood and adolescent predictors of unemployment in the transition to adulthood. American Sociological Review, 424-451. Dohrenwend, B. P. (2000). The role of adversity and stress in psychopathology: Some evidence and its implications for theory and research. Journal of health and social behavior, 1-19. Ganzeboom, H.B.G. (2010). Questions and answers about ISEI-08. http://www.harryganzeboom.nl/ISCO08/qa-isei-08.htm. Retrieved 14.01.2016 Lantz, P. M., House, J. S., Mero, R. P., & Williams, D. R. (2005). Stress, life events, and socioeconomic disparities in health: results from the Americans' Changing Lives Study. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 46(3), 274-288. Matthews, K. A., & Gump, B. B. (2002). Chronic work stress and marital dissolution increase risk of posttrial mortality in men from the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial. Archives of Internal Medicine, 162(3), 309-315. McLeod, J. D., & Kessler, R. C. (1990). Socioeconomic status differences in vulnerability to undesirable life events. Journal of health and social behavior, 162-172. Oerter, R. (2001). Entwicklungspsychologische Grundlagen. In G. Esser (Ed.) , Lehrbuch der Klinischen Psychologie und Psychotherapie des Kindes- und Jugendalters (P. 2-10). Stuttgart: Thieme. Rutter, M. (1990). Psychological resilience and protective mechanism. In J. Rolf et al. (Eds.) Risk and protective factors in the development of of psychopathology. Cambridge: University press. Rutter, M., & Madge, N. (1976). Cycles of disadvantage: A review of research (Vol. 1). Heinemann Educational Books. Schmaeh, N., Häfeli, K., Schellenberg, C., & Hättich, A. (2015). Zurich Longitudinal Study'From School to Middle Adulthood'. Longitudinal and Life Course Studies, 6(4), 435-446. Schoon, I., & Bynner, J. (2003). Risk and resilience in the life course: implications for interventions and social policies. Journal of youth studies, 6(1), 21-31. Schoon, I., Bynner, J., Joshi, H., Parsons, S., Wiggins, R. D., & Sacker, A. (2002). The influence of context, timing, and duration of risk experiences for the passage from childhood to middle adulthood. Child development, 1486-1504. Spiess Huldi, C., Häfeli, K., & Rüesch, P. (2006). Risikofaktoren bei Jugendlichen und ihre Auswirkungen auf das Leben im Erwachsenenalter. Luzern: Edition SZH/CSPS. Werner, E. E., & Smith, R. S. (1992). Overcoming the odds: High risk children from birth to adulthood. Cornell University Press.