Multiple pathways linking early socioeconomic circumstances and depressive symptoms in late Middle age in the U.S.

A growing number of life course studies are examining the influence of earlier life experiences on morbidity, disability, and mortality in mid-old age. Drawing from the social pathway model, this study expands the life course literature by utilizing data collected over 35 years from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1979 Cohort, spanning four life course phases (childhood, young adulthood, middle adulthood, and late-middle adulthood). Through structural equation analyses with a phantom model, we estimated depressive symptoms in late middle age as a result of pathway effects starting with childhood socio-economic status (SES) which effect young adulthood and middle adulthood. The multi-pathway life course model includes three potential mediators of middle adulthood: health risk behaviors, social activity, and negative life events. We found limited support for a direct effect of childhood SES disadvantage on depressive symptoms in middle age. Instead, much of the effects of childhood SES on later-year depressive symptoms appear to be mediated by SES in young adulthood. Further, the long-term pathway is mediated through the influence of health risk behaviors and negative life events in middle adulthood. Our findings do not propose this chain is permanent and irreversible; rather, this study highlights the possibility that interventions focused on promoting health behaviors and improving living conditions for people from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds could help reduce the instance of depression in middle age and health outcomes along the life course could be improved.