Abstract

Subjective status refers to the way in which individuals perceive themselves in relation to others in society, in terms of social status. Lower subjective status has been linked to poorer health outcomes, particularly depression. Individuals with lower subjective status report more symptoms of depression, even when their objective socio-economic status (i.e., education, occupation, and income) is taken into account. Previous research has largely ignored individuals' personality differences, particularly individuals' level of neuroticism, when looking at the relation between subjective status and depression. Neuroticism is a core personality characteristic that negatively impacts many different areas of life. Individuals with higher neuroticism are more likely to report symptoms of depression. In addition, individuals with higher neuroticism have lower socio-economic status and poorer health, factors which may influence their subjective status. In light of such observations, the aim of the present research was to determine whether neuroticism plays a role in the relation between subjective status and depression. Participants were 371 retirees participating in a longitudinal study on life adjustment after retirement. Cross-sectional analysis of the data indicated that individuals with lower subjective status reported more symptoms of depression, even when their objective socio-economic status was taken into account. When neuroticism was taken into account, however, individuals with lower status did not report more symptoms of depression. Further analyses indicated that negative affect was not a sufficient proxy for neuroticism in the relation between subjective status and depression. In other words, when negative affect was taken into account, subjective status continued to play a statistically significant role in predicting symptoms of depression.
Keywords: subjective status, socio-economic status, depression, neuroticism, negative affect