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Socioeconomic status and adolescent mental disorders.

Publication ,  Journal Article
McLaughlin, KA; Costello, EJ; Leblanc, W; Sampson, NA; Kessler, RC
Published in: Am J Public Health
September 2012

OBJECTIVES: Although previous research has shown that low socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with mental illness, it is unclear which aspects of SES are most important. We investigated this issue by examining associations between 5 aspects of SES and adolescent mental disorders. METHODS: Data came from a national survey of US adolescents (n = 6483). Associations among absolute SES (parental income and education), relative SES (relative deprivation, subjective social status), and community level income variation (Gini coefficient) with past-year mental disorders were examined. RESULTS: Subjective social status (mean 0, variance 1) was most consistently associated with mental disorder. Odds ratios with mood, anxiety, substance, and behavior disorders after controlling for other SES indicators were all statistically significant and in the range of 0.7 to 0.8. Associations were strongest for White adolescents. Parent education was associated with low risk for anxiety disorder, relative deprivation with high risk for mood disorder, and the other 2 indicators were associated with none of the disorders considered. CONCLUSIONS: Associations between SES and adolescent mental disorders are most directly the result of perceived social status, an aspect of SES that might be more amenable to interventions than objective aspects of SES.

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Published In

Am J Public Health

DOI

EISSN

1541-0048

Publication Date

September 2012

Volume

102

Issue

9

Start / End Page

1742 / 1750

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • White People
  • United States
  • Social Class
  • Public Health
  • Mental Disorders
  • Logistic Models
  • Income
  • Humans
  • Hispanic or Latino
  • Educational Status
 

Citation

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McLaughlin, K. A., Costello, E. J., Leblanc, W., Sampson, N. A., & Kessler, R. C. (2012). Socioeconomic status and adolescent mental disorders. Am J Public Health, 102(9), 1742–1750. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2011.300477
McLaughlin, Katie A., E Jane Costello, William Leblanc, Nancy A. Sampson, and Ronald C. Kessler. “Socioeconomic status and adolescent mental disorders.Am J Public Health 102, no. 9 (September 2012): 1742–50. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2011.300477.
McLaughlin KA, Costello EJ, Leblanc W, Sampson NA, Kessler RC. Socioeconomic status and adolescent mental disorders. Am J Public Health. 2012 Sep;102(9):1742–50.
McLaughlin, Katie A., et al. “Socioeconomic status and adolescent mental disorders.Am J Public Health, vol. 102, no. 9, Sept. 2012, pp. 1742–50. Pubmed, doi:10.2105/AJPH.2011.300477.
McLaughlin KA, Costello EJ, Leblanc W, Sampson NA, Kessler RC. Socioeconomic status and adolescent mental disorders. Am J Public Health. 2012 Sep;102(9):1742–1750.

Published In

Am J Public Health

DOI

EISSN

1541-0048

Publication Date

September 2012

Volume

102

Issue

9

Start / End Page

1742 / 1750

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • White People
  • United States
  • Social Class
  • Public Health
  • Mental Disorders
  • Logistic Models
  • Income
  • Humans
  • Hispanic or Latino
  • Educational Status