A national survey of more than 4,600 American adults, ages 24-76, conducted in 1995-1996 and in 2011-2014 suggests that among individuals of low socioeconomic status (SES), negative affect increased significantly between the two survey waves, whereas positive affect, life satisfaction, and psychological well-being decreased significantly; in contrast, changes in these mental health measures for individuals of the highest SES were minimal or even opposite that of individuals of low SES.
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Article #17-22023: "Declining mental health among disadvantaged Americans," by Noreen Goldman, Dana A. Glei, and Maxine Weinstein.
MEDIA CONTACT: Noreen Goldman, Princeton University, NJ; e-mail: < ngoldman@princeton.edu >
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences