Socioeconomic position and common mental disorders: Longitudinal study in the general population in the UK (original) (raw)
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Socio-economic position and common mental disorders
British Journal of Psychiatry, 2006
BackgroundIndividuals in lower socio-economic groups have an increased prevalence of common mental disorders.AimsTo investigate the longitudinal association between socio-economic position and common mental disorders in a general population sample in the UK.MethodParticipants (n=2406) were assessed at two time points 18 months apart with the Revised Clinical Interview Schedule. The sample was stratified into two cohorts according to mental health status at baseline.ResultsNone of the socio-economic indicators studied was significantly associated with an episode of common mental disorder at follow-up after adjusting for baseline psychiatric morbidity. The analysis of separate diagnostic categories showed that subjective financial difficulties at baseline were independently associated with depression at follow-up in both cohorts.ConclusionsThese findings support the view that apart from objective measures of socio-economic position, more subjective measures might be equally important ...
Commentary: Socioeconomic Position and Common Mental Disorders: What Do We Need to Know?
International journal of epidemiology, 2007
Studies of the association between socioeconomic status and mental disorders have a long history and one early example is the 1939 Chicago study conducted by Faris and Dunham.1 These researchers used aggregate data and reported an association between admission for schizophrenia and living in a deprived neighbourhood. Later studies on the association between severe mental disorders and socioeconomic status generally confirmed these early observations.2 The controversy remained on the explanation of this finding with two competing explanations (social causation vs social selection/social drift). There are arguments in favour of both2, although recent epidemiological research has challenged the more traditional social drift hypothesis.3 Common mental disorders is a term mainly used in Britain to denote mild forms of neurotic disorder composed from symptoms of depression and anxiety.4 These are distinguished from the more severe mental disorders. The concept of common mental disorders has proved useful in epidemiological research and is often measured with simple self-reported questionnaires like the 12 item general health questionnaire (GHQ-12) or the mental health index of the short form health survey (SF-36). More specific psychiatric syndromes included in the concept of common mental disorders are major depression and specific anxiety disorders such as panic disorder, social phobia or obsessive compulsive disorder. Operational diagnostic criteria for these more specific diagnoses have been published from WHO (ICD-10) or the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-IV) and tested in various epidemiological surveys around the world.5,,6 Although there is a high correlation between general measures of psychological distress and more specific psychiatric syndromes, one should not assume that associations elicited with simple scales should apply to more specific syndromes or vice versa.... continued
Socioeconomic gradients and mental health: implications for public health
The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science, 2015
Background Research on mental well-being is relatively new and studies of its determinants are rare. Aims To investigate whether the socioeconomic correlates of mental well-being mirror those for mental illness. Method Using logistic regression analyses, the independent odds ratios of high and low mental well-being, compared with middle-range mental well-being, were estimated for a number of sociodemographic variables known to be associated with mental illness from 13 983 participants in the 2010 and 2011 Health Surveys for England. Results Independent odds ratios for low mental well-being were as expected from studies of mental illness with increased odds for the unemployed (OR = 1.46, 95% CI 1.01-2.10) and those aged 35-54 years (OR = 1.58, 95% CI 1.35-1.84) and reduced odds for the married (OR = 0.78, 95% CI 0.62-0.97). A linear trend was observed with education and equivalised income. Odds ratios for high mental well-being differed from those for low mental well-being with regar...
Income inequality and the prevalence of common mental disorders in Britain
The British Journal of Psychiatry, 2001
Background It has been hypothesised that the association between greater income inequality and increased mortality is mediated by poor psychosocial health. Aims To test the hypothesis that individuals in regions of Britain with the highest income inequality have a higher prevalence of the common mental disorders, after adjusting for individual income. Method Cross-sectional survey of 8191 adults aged 16–75 in private households in England, Wales and Scotland. The prevalence of common mental disorders was assessed using the General Health Questionnaire. Results The association between income inequality and prevalence of the common mental disorders varied with individual income level. Among persons with the highest incomes, common mental disorders were more frequent in regions with greater income inequality (as indicated by high Gini coefficient) (adjusted OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.05–1.65; P=0.02). The opposite was true for those with the lowest incomes. Conclusions Income inequality was ass...
Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 2004
Study objective: To examine social inequalities in minor psychiatric morbidity as measured by the GHQ-12 using lagged models of psychiatric morbidity and changing job status. Design: GHQ scores were modelled using two level hierarchical regression models with measurement occasions nested within individuals. The paper compares and contrasts three different ways of describing social position: income, social advantage and lifestyle (the Cambridge scale), and social class (the new National Statistics Socio-Economic Classification), and adjusts for attrition. Setting: Survey interviews for a nationally representative sample of adults of working age living in Britain. Participants: 8091 original adult respondents in 1991 who remain of working age during 1991-1998 from the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS). Main results: There was a relation of GHQ-12 to social position when social position was combined with employment status. This relation itself varied according to a person's psychological health in the previous year. Conclusions: The relation between social position and minor psychiatric morbidity depended on whether or not a person was employed, unemployed, or economically inactive. It was stronger in those with previously less good psychological health. Among employed men and women in good health, GHQ-12 varied little according to social class, status, or income. There was a ''classic'' social gradient in psychiatric morbidity, with worse health in less advantaged groups, among the economically inactive. Among the unemployed, a ''reverse'' gradient was found: the impact of unemployment on minor psychiatric morbidity was higher for those who were previously in a more advantaged social class position. T he General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) is a widely used measure of minor psychiatric morbidity, validated and intended for large scale community surveys. 1 Although most studies using other measures that operationalise depression and psychological function show clear relations to socioeconomic position, studies that use the GHQ show inconsistent results, and most show no social gradient. In this paper we address this puzzle in three ways: by taking a longitudinal perspective that enables us to examine year on year changes in GHQ, by taking account of employment status, and by using three measures of socioeconomic position and circumstances. Data are taken from the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS), which includes the 12 item version of the GHQ every year in its data collection. The BHPS is unique in that we have for the first time GHQ-12 self reports over eight years for the British population. Our analysis focuses on the years 1991, when the study originated, until 1998. We treat the BHPS as a genuine panel study rather than as a series of repeat cross sectional analyses.
An Examination of the Correlation between Socioeconomic Status and Mental Health
Socioeconomic status, mental health both are the most important determinant of an individual's wellbeing. The relationship between socioeconomic status and mental health has received the most attention in recent years. Many types of research done on this topic, this study also try to find out the relationship between socioeconomic status and mental health. In these survey 450 respondents selected from different parts of society both male and female are includes and income level is divided into three type's high income, middle income, and low-income level. All respondents are between thirty to fifty years. All primary data collected through a questionnaire. This study tests several hypotheses about the underlying causal structure of the positive relationship between socioeconomic status and mental health. Demographic information and happiness index (verma &verma) used in this survey for collecting information. This survey reveals that economic status positively affects the mental health. Most of the peoples have a quality life with the strong economic condition but some exemption also finds out that are happier than other with the weak economic condition. Around 69.6% respondents think money brings depression, stress, and angry behavior.
The British Journal of Psychiatry, 2013
BackgroundInequality in health and treatment of disease across socioeconomic status groups is a major public health issue.AimsTo examine differences in socioeconomic status in common mental disorders and use of psychotherapy provided by the public and private sector in the UK between 1991 and 2009.MethodDuring these years, 28 054 men and women responded to annual surveys by the nationally representative, population-based British Household Panel Survey (on average 7 measurements per participant; 207 545 person-observations). In each year, common mental disorders were assessed with the self-reported 12-item General Health Questionnaire and socioeconomic status was assessed on the basis of household income, occupational status and education.ResultsHigher socioeconomic status was associated with lower odds of common mental disorder (highest v. lowest household income quintile odds ratio (OR) 0.88, 95% CI 0.82–0.94) and of being treated by publicly provided psychotherapy (OR = 0.43, 95% ...
Socioeconomic Inequalities in Common Mental Disorders: A Systematic Review
Low socioeconomic status (SES) is generally associated with high medical morbidity, and poorer access to health care. A number of studies have investigated the relationship between SES and common mental disorders with differing results. Therefore, the author conducted a systemic review to evaluate such an association. The review included 17 studies. Socioeconomic inequality in common mental disorders is mixed and varies according to the approach mental disorder is accessed, to the definition and measurement scales of SES, and to background characteristics such as region and time. However, the analysis found convincing evidence for socioeconomic inequality in common mental disorders. Policies for tackling inequality in common mental disorders are necessary, particularly in relationship with the course of the disorders.
Psychiatry Research, 2010
Research examining the association between socioeconomic position and depression course has yielded inconsistent results. We tested the association between low socioeconomic position and 7-year depression persistence among 298 community-based individuals with depression (subset of the GAZEL cohort study based in France). Data were analyzed using Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE models). Low socioeconomic position predicted depression persistence (men: low vs. intermediate/high income: OR: 2.52, 95% CI 1.28-4.95; women: low vs. intermediate/high occupational grade: OR: 2.25, 95% CI 1.06-4.80). These associations were reduced and became statistically nonsignificant after controlling for baseline sociodemographic characteristics and stressful life events (men and women), overall health (men), and the severity of mental health difficulties (men and women). Overall, depressed individuals with low socioeconomic position appear disproportionately likely to experience multiple risk factors of long-term depression.
Negative socioeconomic changes and mental disorders: a longitudinal study
Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 2014
There is increasing interest on whether the current global economic uncertainties have an influence on the population's mental health. In this paper, we examined the association of negative socioeconomic changes, job loss and household income reductions with incident mental disorders. The moderating effect of gender was assessed. Data come from the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study-2 (NEMESIS-2), a representative population-based, longitudinal study. Individuals with a paid job and without a 12-month mental disorder at baseline were selected and reassessed 3 years later (2007-2009/2010-2012). Substantial household income reductions and not being at a paid job anymore were self-reported at follow-up. Multivariate logistic models were utilised to investigate the association between these negative socioeconomic changes and the incidence of mood, anxiety and substance use Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IV disorders assessed by the Composite International Diagnostic Interview 3.0. After 3 years, 6% had lost their job, 11% had a substantial household income reduction and 12.2% had developed a mental disorder. Household income reductions increased the risk of any mental disorder (aOR=1.77), particularly the risk of mood (aOR=2.24). Job loss increased the risk of mood disorders (aOR=2.02). Gender modified the relationship: job loss increased the risk of any mental disorder among men (aOR=3.04) and household income reductions did so among women (aOR=2.32). Negative socioeconomic changes occurring within a short time period significantly increased the risk of incident mental disorders, particularly of mood disorders. Effective interventions to alleviate the public mental health impact of negative socioeconomic changes on men and women are needed.