Associations between subjective social status and psychological well-being among college students

Abstract

Background: Higher subjective social status (SSS) is associated with better mental health among youth; however, few studies have examined youth’s perceptions of past (childhood) or future (adulthood) SSS. Methods: Utilizing latent profile analysis, we examined unique profiles of past, present, and future SSS among 401 college students in the United States and tested associations between these profiles and psychological well-being (ie, depressive symptoms, negative affect, positive affect, and flourishing), controlling for family socioeconomic status (SES). Results: Results revealed four profiles: Low SSS (8%), Upward SSS (18%), Moderate SSS (43%), and High SSS (31%). Youth in the High SSS profile had the best psychological well-being, and those in the Low SSS profile had the worst. While the Upward SSS profile was associated with depressive symptoms and negative affect, it was protective in terms of positive affect. Discussion: Findings highlight unique effects of upward SSS mobility.

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2021.1954010

Keywords:

• Psychological well-being
• subjective social status
• young adults

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all of the students who participated in this study.

We thank collaborating investigators Katherine Zeiders, Dean McKay, and Carolyn Pepper for their contribution to the study design and data collection. The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States of America and received approval from the Institutional Review Boards of Fordham University, Brooklyn College, Baylor University, University of Arizona, and University of Wyoming.

Additional information

Funding

No funding was used to support this research and/or the preparation of the manuscript.