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Minding the gap: Subjective relative deprivation and depressive symptoms

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  • Beshai, Shadi
  • Mishra, Sandeep
  • Meadows, Tyler J.S.
  • Parmar, Priya
  • Huang, Vivian

Abstract

Substantial evidence has linked depressive symptoms to various indices of societal-level inequality and relative deprivation. A larger literature has also addressed cognitive vulnerability and correlates of depression. Despite this evidence, little research to date has examined the relationship of depressive symptoms with such downstream individual-level consequences of inequality as subjective relative deprivation, or whether relative deprivation is associated with cognitive vulnerability in depression. We conducted two investigations among four separate samples (total N = 2999) to examine associations between subjective relative deprivation and depressive symptoms and cognitions. Across our studies and four different self-report measures of depressive symptoms, we found consistent significant positive associations between subjective relative deprivation and depression symptoms. Further, we found that subjective relative deprivation was predictive of depressive symptoms over and above other known vulnerability factors. Finally, we found that the relationship between subjective relative deprivation and depressive symptoms was fully mediated by negative automatic thoughts about self. These results provide further evidence of the importance of subjective deprivation in maintaining negative mental health outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Beshai, Shadi & Mishra, Sandeep & Meadows, Tyler J.S. & Parmar, Priya & Huang, Vivian, 2017. "Minding the gap: Subjective relative deprivation and depressive symptoms," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 18-25.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:173:y:2017:i:c:p:18-25
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.11.021
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    Cited by:

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    2. Eman Leung & Albert Lee & Yilin Liu & Chi-Tim Hung & Ning Fan & Sam C. C. Ching & Hilary Yee & Yinan He & Richard Xu & Hector Wing Hong Tsang & Jingjing Guan, 2024. "Impact of Environment on Pain among the Working Poor: Making Use of Random Forest-Based Stratification Tool to Study the Socioecology of Pain Interference," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(2), pages 1-21, February.
    3. Jingfang Liu & Jun Kong & Xin Zhang, 2020. "Study on Differences between Patients with Physiological and Psychological Diseases in Online Health Communities: Topic Analysis and Sentiment Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-17, February.
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