Socioeconomic Status Sociology

Socioeconomic status (SES) commonly refers to the “social standing or class” of an individual or a group. It is the economic and sociological combined total measure of a person's work experience and of an individual's or family's economic and social position in relation to others. It is often measured based on income, education, and occupation.
Socioeconomic status is a major determinant of health as poor social and economic circumstances affect health throughout the life course. This can be demonstrated by the fact that health outcomes worsen as one descends down the social gradient in all societies. Many studies have consistently shown the negative relationship between the socioeconomic status and mental health of individuals. Individuals

Do adverse socioeconomic conditions predispose people to mental illness or do preexisting, biologically based psychiatric disorders result in the drift of individuals into poor socioeconomic circumstances? This question is addressed by two competing hypotheses. The social causation hypothesis asserts that experiencing adverse economic circumstances increases the risk of subsequent mental illness9 e.g. depression. While, the social selection/drift hypothesis argues that mental illness e.g. schizophrenia can inhibit socioeconomic attainment and cause individuals to drift into a lower social class or never escape poverty9. However, most studies suggest there is a reciprocal relationship between socioeconomic status and mental health, although social causation has more evidence. Overall, both social causation and selection are important in advancing our understanding of the influence of socioeconomic status on mental

The mental wellbeing of individuals seems to be influenced by the effect of multiple interacting factors and cannot be attributed to a solitary cause in most cases. As not everyone that goes through adverse socioeconomic conditions develop mental disorders. Therefore, more research studies focused on understanding the biological mechanisms through which social, environmental and genetic risk factors influence mental health is needed. Furthermore, the role of culture on mental health should be fully explored, as it influences coping mechanisms, social support as well as access to psychotherapy and psychiatric