Subjective status comparisons and depressive symptoms among migrants and refugees to Germany

Abstract

Abstract Background Prior research has identified perceptions of relative social status to affect mental health. We investigated whether migrants to Germany who perceive that they would have a higher relative social status if they were still in their country of origin experience more depressive symptoms than those who perceive no such status discrepancy. Methods Cross-sectional data were derived from a random sample of residents in the Berlin-Brandenburg region with a Croatian, Polish, Romanian, Syrian and/or Turkish citizenship (n = 728). Participants’ perception of their relative social status in Germany was measured using the MacArthur Scale of subjective social status (SSS). An adapted version of this scale was used to assess respondents’ hypothetical SSS in their country of origin if they had not migrated. Depressive symptoms were measured with the eight-item depression scale of the Patient Health Questionnaire. Diagonal reference models were used to examine whether discrepancies between the two status ratings were associated with depressive symptom severity. Results Most respondents reported a higher (35.6%) or similar (49.0%) hypothetical SSS in their country of origin compared to their SSS in Germany. Respondents whose SSS in Germany was lower than their hypothetical SSS in their country of origin experienced the most severe depressive symptoms. In the diagonal reference models, this association remained statistically significant (p < 0.05), even after adjusting for objective socioeconomic position and other covariates. The pattern was similar for both refugees and non-refugees. Conclusions Our findings indicate that perceptions of having a lower social status in Germany than hypothetically in one’s country of origin are concomitant with poorer mental health among migrants. Prospective data are needed to address questions of causation and the direction of effects. Key messages Migrants who perceived that they would have a higher social status if they had not left their country of origin reported higher depressive symptoms than those with no such status discrepancy. This association persisted after adjusting for objective socioeconomic position in Germany.