Inequalities In Mental Well-being Research Articles

Socioeconomic Deprivation and Inequalities in Mental Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic among Adolescents.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the existing inequalities in education and mental health. The aim of this study was to examine socioeconomic disadvantages and mental well-being inequalities among Slovenian adolescents in October 2020. The study used nationally representative data from 3052 adolescents aged 14 and 18 (Mage = 14.4 and 18.4). The WHO-5 Well-Being Index (WHO-5) was used to measure mental well-being and risk for depression. Multinomial logistic regression was used to identify differences in the pattern of associations regarding sociodemographic characteristics and experiences during the pandemic with poor well-being and risk for depression. Our study found that adolescents from socially disadvantaged families faced poorer conditions as regards academic performance, had fewer opportunities to socialise with friends online, and were more likely to feel lonely; they reported lower levels of mental well-being and were at a higher risk for depression. The unemployment of both parents and adolescents' perceptions of family wealth were found to be the most important predictors of depression risk. In addition, experiencing deprivation and economic hardship during the pandemic was also identified as a significant predictor. The study concludes that social and economic conditions were critical determinants of adolescents' mental health during the pandemic and that effective intervention is needed to promote their well-being and reduce inequalities.

Investigating the impact on mental wellbeing of an increase in pensions: A longitudinal analysis by area-level deprivation in England, 1998–2002

In 1997 approximately two million people aged 60 years or over were living poverty in the UK. In 1999 the UK Government raised real pension incomes of low-income pensioners by around a third through the introduction of the Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG). This study explores the implications of this change for pensioners’ mental wellbeing with a focus on differences by area level deprivation in England. We explore mental wellbeing outcomes of 205 men (750 person-year observations) and 367 women (1,336 person-year observations) of state pension age from scores on the General Health Questionnaire from the British Household Panel Survey using a panel difference-in-difference estimation procedure. We compare the mental wellbeing of pensioners receiving MIG to that of low-income pensioners not claiming MIG, from 1998 to 2002. To investigate differences by area deprivation we use quintiles of the of the distributions of the 2000 and 2019 local-authority-level English Index of Multiple Deprivation. Models controlled for age, marital status and year. Between 1998 and 2002, 136 (38%) of low-income women and 57 (28%) of low-income men in the sample were claiming MIG at any one time. Income increased by 31% for men and 22% for women. There was no change in mental wellbeing for women but we found an improvement for men overall and for men living in the most deprived areas, in the latter case with a decrease of the GHQ-12 score of 2.43 points (95% CI: −5.49, 0.02). This estimate was similar across all measures of deprivation, and across both years of IMD. This study provides tentative evidence that the increase in pension income in England for low-income pensioners contributed to a reduction of inequalities in mental wellbeing for men. This needs to be considered in terms of future state pension policies.

Understanding the Wellbeing Effects of a Community Music Program for People With Disabilities: A Mixed Methods, Person-Centered Study.

People with disabilities face inequalities in mental wellbeing, for which social exclusion is a contributing factor. Musical activities offer a promising but complex intervention, making impacts on a population with highly varied characteristics and needs challenging to capture. This paper reports on a mixed methods, person-centered study investigating a community music intervention for such a population. Three groups of adult service users with varied disabilities (either physical, learning, or both), took part in weekly music workshops in different locations. Music staff, housing and resource center staff, as well as participants and members of their families, took part in semi-structured interviews. A quantitative measure administered by service staff was used to rate service users’ social development. Two lay researchers, both individuals with a disability contributed to all aspects of the study. Interviews were analyzed through thematic analysis. Improvements in individuals’ self-expression, confidence, mood, and social skills were consistent with previous findings. Differences in effect between centers included: Group 1, some of whom had previous experience of workshops, showed an improvement in musical skills; Group 2 showed a mixed response, some participated with enthusiasm but others chose art activities over music workshops; Group 3 had lasting positive impact, this group had very limited opportunities for music due to their rural location. Quantitative analysis showed significant increase over all groups in communication, interaction with others, and joint attention. The intervention was beneficial for participants in separate locations in similar ways, but also highlighted that context and prior experience mediated effects in distinct ways. The lay researchers enhanced the qualitative analysis by emphasizing (1) the importance of recognizing participants’ self-expression in non-verbal modes of communication and (2) the importance of having music staff with a disability to provide a positive role model. This paper proposes that mixed methods person-centered research is the most suitable approach to capture and understand the multiple and varied effects of this complex intervention for a diverse group of participants.

Neighborhood Environments and Socioeconomic Inequalities in Mental Well-Being.

It has been suggested that socioeconomic inequalities in health might be reduced among populations with good access to green space. However, the potential for other neighborhood characteristics to reduce socioeconomic health inequalities, or to confound the effects of green space, has not been well explored. Therefore, this study investigates which, if any, neighborhood characteristics are associated with narrower socioeconomic inequalities in mental well-being in a large, international sample of urban residents. The 2012 European Quality of Life Survey provided data on 21,294 urban residents from 34 European nations. Associations between mental well-being (captured by the WHO-5 scale) and level of financial strain were assessed for interaction with five different neighborhood characteristics, including reported access to recreational/green areas, financial services, transport, and cultural facilities. Multilevel regression models allowed for clustering of individuals within region and country in this cross-sectional, observational study. Data were analyzed in 2014. Socioeconomic inequality in mental well-being was 40% (8.1 WHO-5 points) narrower among respondents reporting good access to green/recreational areas, compared with those with poorer access. None of the other neighborhood characteristics or services were associated with narrower inequality. If societies cannot, or will not, narrow socioeconomic inequality, research should explore the so-called equigenic environments-those that can disrupt the usual conversion of socioeconomic inequality to health inequality. This large, international, observational study suggests that access to recreational/green areas may offer such a disruption.

Neo-Marxian social class inequalities in the mental well-being of employed men and women: The role of European welfare regimes

The relation between “neo-Marxian” social class (NMSC) and health in the working population has received considerable attention in public health research. However, less is known about the distribution of mental well-being according to NMSC in a European context. The objectives of this study are (i) to analyse the association of mental well-being and NMSC among employees in Europe (using a welfare regime typology), (ii) to investigate whether the relation between NMSC and mental well-being is the same in women compared to men within each welfare regime, and (iii) to examine within each welfare regime the role of the gender division of labour and job quality as potential mediating factors in explaining this association.Data from the European Social Survey Round 5 (2010) were analysed. Mental well-being was assessed by the WHO Well-being Index. Social class was measured through E.O. Wright's social class scheme. Models separated by sex were generated using Poisson regression with a robust error variance. The associations were presented as prevalence ratios with 95% confidence intervals.Women reported NMSC differences in mental well-being in State corporatist/family support and Southern welfare regimes. Men reported NMSC differences in mental well-being in all but the Basic security/market-oriented welfare regimes. Gender inequalities were more marked and widespread in Basic security/market-oriented welfare regimes. In all welfare regimes job quality (partly) explained NMSC inequalities in mental well-being for men, the role of the gender division of labour was unclear.This study showed that the relationship between NMSC and mental well-being among employees differs by gender and welfare regimes. It confirms the importance of NMSC and welfare regimes to explain gender and social class inequalities in mental well-being.

Socioeconomic inequalities in mental well-being among Hungarian adolescents: a cross-sectional study.

IntroductionAccording to several empirical studies, mental well-being is significant in adolescence; adolescent’s social network is undergoing radical changes while at the same time depression is increasing. The primary goal of our study is to determine whether socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with mental health status of Hungarian adolescents and the strength and nature of this association.MethodsOur sample was comprised of three high schools of Debrecen (the second largest city of Hungary). Data were collected in January 2013. In all, 471 students filled out the questionnaire from 22 classes (14–18 years old). ‘Absolute’ (education and occupational status of the parents, assessed by the adolescent) and ‘subjective’ (self-assessment of family’s social class) SES measures and five mental health indicators (shyness, loneliness, need to belong, psychosomatic symptoms, self-esteem) were involved. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analyses were used to examine the relationships between family SES and mental health indicators.ResultsOur results indicate that association between adolescents’ ‘subjective’ SES and mental well-being is not gradient-like. Manual employment and unemployment status of both parents also proved to be significant determinants of mental health status.ConclusionsAccording to our results, professionals of school-based mental health programs should consider students whose parents are unemployed or have manual occupational status as a high risk group in terms of mental well-being.

Is access to green space associated with smaller socio-economic inequalities in mental wellbeing among urban dwellers across Europe?

Background A small number of studies suggest that local environment may affect socio-economic health inequalities. For example, better access to urban green space is associated with smaller inequalities in mortality. However, existing research has not been focused on mental health, not been international, often been ecological in design and, crucially, tended not to include other physical and social environmental …

Structural and intermediary determinants of social inequalities in the mental well-being of European workers: a relational approach.

BackgroundThe objective of this study is to examine social inequalities in employee mental well-being, using relational social class indicators. Relational social class indicators are based on theoretical insights about the mechanisms generating social (health) inequalities. Additionally, it is examined whether the psychosocial work environment and employment quality act as intermediary determinants of social class inequalities in mental well-being, simultaneously testing the mediation (differential exposure) and moderation (differential vulnerability) hypotheses.MethodsData from the European Social Survey Round 2 (2004/5) and Round 5 (2010) were analysed. Mental well-being was assessed by the WHO Well-being Index. The measure for social class was inspired by E.O. Wright’s class scheme. Three-level linear multilevel modelling was used to account for clustering of employees within research years and countries.ResultsWe found social class inequalities in mental well-being in the European working population for both men and women. Compared to unskilled workers, managers reported the best mental well-being, while supervisors held an intermediary position. As regards the mediation hypothesis, an unfavourable psychosocial work environment and low-quality employment conditions mediated the relation between social class and poor mental well-being in both men and women. However, low quality of employment relations only mediated the “social class-mental well-being” association in the male sample. As regards the moderation hypothesis, modification effects were seen for the psychosocial work environment and employment conditions in both men and women.ConclusionRelational indicators of social class are related to mental well-being in European employees. Relational accounts of social class are complementary to stratification indicators in social epidemiology. From a policy perspective, better employee mental well-being and less social class inequality could be achieved through initiatives addressing the unequal social relations generated by structural positions in the labour process.

A comparison of older workers’ and retired older people’s social capital and sense of mastery

To assess if older people with higher levels of social capital experience higher levels of sense of mastery than those with lower levels of social capital and to assess whether this association is stronger for retired older people than for older workers. The data originates from a general population mental health survey conducted among 2610 older people (50 years of age or older) in Finland in 2011. The response rate was 57.1%. The association between sense of mastery, measured by Pearlin's Sense of Mastery Scale, and social capital, measured by social networks, organisational activities, trust, and sense of belonging, were tested by logistic regression analyses. The results showed that older workers experienced greater sense of mastery than retired older people. Trust and neighbourhood belonging were positively associated with sense of mastery. Inequalities in mental wellbeing between older people included in or excluded from the workforce are a public health challenge. Our findings imply that social capital needs to be prioritised as a means for enhancing mental health. More attention should be paid to promote mental wellbeing in retired older people.

Mental well-being and subjective health of 11- to 15-year-old boys and girls in Scotland, 1994-2006

Promoting young people's mental well-being and reducing socioeconomic inequalities are priority areas for WHO and the Scottish Government. This article describes changes in the subjective health and mental well-being of adolescents living in Scotland between 1994 and 2006, and investigates socioeconomic inequalities in mental well-being and subjective health over time. Data from the 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2006 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children surveys were analysed using Multilevel Binomial modelling. Boys and younger adolescents scored more favourably on measures of confidence, happiness, helplessness and feeling left out than girls and older adolescents. Multiple health complaints (MHC) were also more prevalent among girls than boys. Significant increases over time were observed for all mental well-being measures among girls and for all but confidence among boys. Similarly, there was a significant decrease in odds of MHC over time for both boys and girls. There were no socioeconomic inequalities in any of the five outcomes in 1998. However by 2006, socioeconomic inequalities in young people's happiness, confidence and MHC emerged, while inequalities in girls' helplessness also approached significance. Between 1998 and 2006 significant increases in socioeconomic inequalities in happiness and MHC were observed and increases in feeling left out also approached significance. Adolescent mental well-being and subjective health in Scotland is improving. However, gender differences persist and socioeconomic inequalities are emerging for some measures, suggesting that a longer term monitoring of mental well-being and subjective health in Scotland is required.