Declining mental health among disadvantaged Americans

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sociology
• Public Health

Background:

• The US opioid epidemic's impact on mortality is clear, but its link to increasing adult despair is debated.
• Lack of standardized despair measures and limited research on psychological health changes since the 1990s complicate understanding.
• Socioeconomic position may influence psychological well-being trends.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess changes in psychological distress and well-being among American adults.
• To examine how socioeconomic position moderates these psychological trends.
• To provide evidence on the psychological impact of societal changes since the 1990s.

Main Methods:

• Utilized two cross-sectional waves of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study.
• Assessed psychological distress (sadness, hopelessness, worthlessness) and well-being (happiness, fulfillment, life satisfaction).
• Analyzed data stratified by relative socioeconomic position.

Main Results:

• Significant increases in psychological distress and decreases in well-being were observed across age groups with low socioeconomic position.
• Individuals with high socioeconomic position showed little decline or modest improvement in psychological health.
• Findings suggest a divergence in psychological well-being based on socioeconomic status.

Conclusions:

• Psychological health trends since the 1990s show a widening gap based on socioeconomic status.
• Lower socioeconomic groups experience increasing despair and declining well-being.
• Future research should address socioeconomic disparities in mental health.