TY - JOUR
T1 - The social gradient in adolescent mental health
T2 - mediated or moderated by belief in a just world?
AU - Weinberg, Dominic
AU - Stevens, Gonneke W J M
AU - Peeters, Margot
AU - Visser, Kirsten
AU - Tigchelaar, Jet
AU - Finkenauer, Catrin
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by funding from Dynamics of Youth (Utrecht University). The funding source had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s).
PY - 2023/5
Y1 - 2023/5
N2 - PURPOSE: A social gradient in adolescent mental health exists: adolescents with higher socioeconomic status (SES) have fewer mental health problems than their peers with lower SES. Little is known about whether adolescents' societal beliefs play a role in this social gradient. Belief in a just world (BJW) may be a mediator or moderator of the social gradient in adolescent mental health.METHODS: Using data from 848 adolescents (Mage = 17) in the Netherlands, path analyses examined whether two indicators of BJW (general and personal) mediated or moderated the associations between two indicators of SES (family affluence and perceived family wealth), and four indicators of adolescent mental health problems (emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity, and peer problems).RESULTS: Adolescents with lower family affluence and lower perceived family wealth reported more emotional symptoms, and the association between perceived family wealth and emotional symptoms was mediated by lower personal and general BJW. Furthermore, higher personal BJW amplified the negative association between SES and peer problems.CONCLUSION: This study suggests BJW may both mediate and amplify the social gradient in adolescent mental health. Adolescents' beliefs about society may be important to include in research aimed at understanding this social gradient.
AB - PURPOSE: A social gradient in adolescent mental health exists: adolescents with higher socioeconomic status (SES) have fewer mental health problems than their peers with lower SES. Little is known about whether adolescents' societal beliefs play a role in this social gradient. Belief in a just world (BJW) may be a mediator or moderator of the social gradient in adolescent mental health.METHODS: Using data from 848 adolescents (Mage = 17) in the Netherlands, path analyses examined whether two indicators of BJW (general and personal) mediated or moderated the associations between two indicators of SES (family affluence and perceived family wealth), and four indicators of adolescent mental health problems (emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity, and peer problems).RESULTS: Adolescents with lower family affluence and lower perceived family wealth reported more emotional symptoms, and the association between perceived family wealth and emotional symptoms was mediated by lower personal and general BJW. Furthermore, higher personal BJW amplified the negative association between SES and peer problems.CONCLUSION: This study suggests BJW may both mediate and amplify the social gradient in adolescent mental health. Adolescents' beliefs about society may be important to include in research aimed at understanding this social gradient.
KW - Adolescent mental health
KW - Belief in a just world
KW - Health inequalities
KW - Social gradient
KW - Socioeconomic status
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85118653580&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00787-021-01905-4
DO - 10.1007/s00787-021-01905-4
M3 - Article
C2 - 34750712
SN - 1018-8827
VL - 32
SP - 773
EP - 782
JO - European child & adolescent psychiatry
JF - European child & adolescent psychiatry
IS - 5
ER -