THE EFFECT OF CHILDHOOD SUBJECTIVE SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS ON MENTAL HEALTH: THE MEDIATING ROLES OF PERCEIVED DISCRIMINATION AND STATUS ANXIETY.

This study explored the effect of childhood subjective socioeconomic status on mental health and the chain-mediating mechanism of perceived discrimination and status anxiety. A random survey was conducted via an online survey platform with 999 college students in east China. Participants completed the Childhood Subjective Socioeconomic Status Scale, General Health Questionnaire, Status Anxiety Scale, and the Perceived Personal Discrimination Scale. The sample comprised 323 men and 676 women. The mean age was 20.49±2.70 years. Mediation analysis using Model 6 and 5,000 bootstrap samples was employed to explore the mediating role of perceived discrimination and status anxiety in the relationship between childhood subjective socioeconomic status and mental health. Mental health was significantly positively correlated with childhood socioeconomic status, and significantly negatively correlated with perceived discrimination and status anxiety. Perceived discrimination and status anxiety played a partial chain mediating role between childhood socioeconomic status and mental health. The mediation model accounted for 31% of the variance in mental health. Moreover, the results indicated that the significant mediating effect of perceived discrimination between childhood subjective SES and mental health had a value of 0.029 and a 95% confidence interval of [0.019, 0.041]. Furthermore, the significant mediating effect of status anxiety between childhood subjective SES and mental health had a value of 0.010 and a 95% confidence interval of [0.006, 0.014]. The results provide an explanation of how childhood subjective socioeconomic status influences their mental health. Interventions to address perceived discrimination and status anxiety can improve the mental health status of children who experience childhood adversity. The study's findings contribute to understanding mental health in childhood and inform potential interventions to improve the well-being of individuals who have experienced childhood adversity. The limitations of the study were self-report scales and potential biases in the sample population. Addressing these limitations will enhance the credibility of the research and pave the way for future studies.