Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Social Threat-Safety Test Uncovers Psychosocial Stress-Related Phenotypes
Published on: December 15, 2023
Socioeconomic status and mental illness: tests of the social causation and selection hypotheses
1School of Social Work, Salem State College, Salem, MA 01945, USA. cghudson@comcast.net
Abstract:
This study tests several hypotheses about the underlying causal structure of the inverse correlation between socioeconomic status (SES) and mental illness. It does this through the analysis of a longitudinal statewide database on acute psychiatric hospitalization in Massachusetts for the fiscal years 1994-2000 as well as supplemental census data. The modeling strategy used techniques of structural equation modeling and found that SES impacted directly on rates of mental illness as well as indirectly through the impact of economic hardship on low and middle income groups.
Related Concept Videos
Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia
Sources of Self-Esteem III: Social Comparison
Theoretical Approaches to Psychological Disorder
Biological approach
The biological approach posits that internal, organic factors are the primary causes of such disorders. This perspective emphasizes brain structure and function, genetic predispositions, and neurotransmitter imbalances. For example, schizophrenia has been associated with both genetic...
Depressive Disorders: Etiology
Biological Factors in Depression
Biological predispositions significantly influence the risk of developing depressive disorders. Genetic studies highlight the role of variations in the serotonin transporter...
Causes of Social Behavior II: Cognitive Processes
Causes of Social Behavior III: Biological and Environmental Influences

