Socioeconomic Status Differences in Vulnerability to Undesirable Life Events
Abstract
Previous research has documented consistently that persons holding low-socioeconomic status (SES) positions are more strongly affected emotionally by undesirable life events than are their higher-status counterparts. Two types of resources have been implicated in this differential vulnerability: financial resources and a broader class of coping resources, including social support and resilient personality characteristics. We present an analysis that disaggregates measure of life events and of SES to identify which events and which components of SES are most important for understanding differential vulnerability. We document that the lower-SES vulnerability persists across all types of personal events. In addition, we find that differential vulnerability is not confined to income but extends to education and occupational status as well. On the basis of these patterns, we conclude that differential vulnerability reflects more than a simple economic reality. Previous research offers speculative evidence that status differences in past and current social environments may explain differential vulnerability, especially through their effects on the socialization of resilient personality characteristics. We propose future research that could help to evaluate the validity of these speculations.
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Economic vulnerability and ongoing financial strain lead to negative affect and stress.
“Negative affect and stress are consequences of economic vulnerability and persistent financial pressure (Lantz, House, Mero, & Williams, 2005; McLeod & Kessler, 1990).”
From A randomized controlled trial protocol for engaging distress tolerance and working memory to aid smoking cessation in low socioeconomic status (SES) adults (2020) · cites this paper as McLeod & Kessler, 1990
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BackgroundAshing-Giwa, K., & Lim, J.-W. (2009) · Oncology Nursing Forum · doi:10.1188/09.onf.79-88 · Cited by 153 · see citing works
“Additionally, survivors with low socioeconomic status report more stressful life events than individuals with high socioeconomic status (McLeod, 1990).”
BackgroundBeyond the Stress Concept: Allostatic Load—A Developmental Biological and Cognitive Perspective
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Psychological, addictive, and health behavior implications of the COVID-19 pandemic
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“In fact, research has consistently found that lower socioeconomic status is related to greater degrees of anxiety, stress, and depression when compared to those higher in socioeconomic status (McLeod & Kessler, 1990).”
BackgroundSocioeconomic Status Predicts Objective and Subjective Sleep Quality in Aging Women
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“Low social position is also associated with greater exposure to severe stressors (15) along with a greater likelihood that those stressors will be considered threatening to wellbeing (16,17), leading to greater psychological distress and an increased number of physical symptoms (17).”
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Life experiences among urban adolescents: examining the role of context.
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Parenting Practices and Socioeconomic Gaps in Childhood Outcomes
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Ageing and Urbanization: Can Cities be Designed to Foster Active Ageing?
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- Authors
- McLeod, J. D., & Kessler, R. C.
- Affiliations
- University of Minnesota (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Health and Social Behavior
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 1990-06
- Volume
- 31
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 162
- ISSN
- 0022-1465 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2013102688
- Cited by
- 672
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 24 · 2018: 30 · 2017: 23 · 2016: 34 · 2015: 23 · 2014: 30 · 2013: 25 · 2012: 24
- FWCI
- 18.36
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Health and Social Behavior (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (5k02mh000507-08)
- National Institute of Mental Health (1R01 MH-30479, 1K02 MH00507, T32MH016806)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Resilience and Mental Health
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Employment and Welfare Studies
- Keywords
- socioeconomic status, differential vulnerability, coping resources, social support, resilience, financial resources, income, occupational status, social environment
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Female, Health Surveys, Humans, Life Change Events, Male, Social Class, Social Support
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