How Does Subjective Social Status Associate With Depression Among the Labor Force Population in China? — Analysis of the Mediation Effect Based on the Sense of Social Equity

TL;DR

This study finds that people's perception of their social status is linked to depression in China's workforce, with social equity playing a key role in this relationship.

Contribution

The study is among the few to examine subjective social status and depression in China's labor force, identifying social equity as a significant mediator.

Findings

12.37% of the labor force sample had probable depression.

Lower subjective social status was significantly associated with higher depression scores.

Sense of social equity mediated about 33% of the effect of subjective social status on depression.

Abstract

With the rising prevalence of depression and its growing disease burden, and given that few studies have examined the link between subjective social status (SSS) and depression among the labor force, this study aimed to explore the association between SSS and depression in the workforce and to examine potential mediating factors.

We analyzed data from the 2018 China Labor-force Dynamic Survey, with a final sample of 10,065 participants. Depression was assessed using the 20-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale. SSS was measured via the MacArthur Scale. Linear regression models examined the association between SSS and depression, while structural equation modeling tested the mediating effect of sense of social equity.

In total, 12.37% of participants were identified as having probable depression. SSS was significantly associated with depression (β = −0.08, P < 0.05). Sense of social equity accounted for approximately 33% of the total effect.

Among China’s labor force population, SSS is independently related to depression, and sense of social equity plays an important mediating role. Depression in the labor force - those with low SSS - warrants greater attention.

Figures