Laurent Foubert1, Yvonnick Noël1, Chandler M Spahr2, George M Slavich3. 1. Department of Psychology, Rennes 2 University, Rennes, France. 2. Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, California, USA. 3. Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology and Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Although research has examined associations between socioeconomic status (SES), gender, and acute and chronic life stressors in depression, most studies have been conducted in Western, educated, industrialized, rich, democratic (WEIRD) populations. METHOD: We addressed this issue by interviewing 65 adults (55 women, M age = 37) living in Madagascar, a typical low- and middle-income country. RESULTS: As hypothesized, women experienced more life stressors and depressive symptoms, on average, than men, as did those from lower (vs. higher) SES backgrounds. Additionally, lifetime stress exposure was associated with greater symptoms of depression, accounting for 19% of the variability in depressive symptom levels. These effects differed for acute versus chronic and distal versus recent stressors. Finally, stress exposure significantly mediated the relation between SES and gender on depressive symptoms, accounting for 24.0%-70.8% of the SES/gender-depression association depending on stressor type. CONCLUSION: These data extend prior research by describing how social stratification and gender relate to lifetime stress exposure and depressive symptoms in a non-WEIRD population.
OBJECTIVE: Although research has examined associations between socioeconomic status (SES), gender, and acute and chronic life stressors in depression, most studies have been conducted in Western, educated, industrialized, rich, democratic (WEIRD) populations. METHOD: We addressed this issue by interviewing 65 adults (55 women, M age = 37) living in Madagascar, a typical low- and middle-income country. RESULTS: As hypothesized, women experienced more life stressors and depressive symptoms, on average, than men, as did those from lower (vs. higher) SES backgrounds. Additionally, lifetime stress exposure was associated with greater symptoms of depression, accounting for 19% of the variability in depressive symptom levels. These effects differed for acute versus chronic and distal versus recent stressors. Finally, stress exposure significantly mediated the relation between SES and gender on depressive symptoms, accounting for 24.0%-70.8% of the SES/gender-depression association depending on stressor type. CONCLUSION: These data extend prior research by describing how social stratification and gender relate to lifetime stress exposure and depressive symptoms in a non-WEIRD population.
Authors: David S Black; Gillian A O'Reilly; Richard Olmstead; Elizabeth C Breen; Michael R Irwin Journal: JAMA Intern Med Date: 2015-04 Impact factor: 21.873
Authors: L L Judd; H S Akiskal; P J Zeller; M Paulus; A C Leon; J D Maser; J Endicott; W Coryell; J L Kunovac; T I Mueller; J P Rice; M B Keller Journal: Arch Gen Psychiatry Date: 2000-04
Authors: Soraya Seedat; Kate Margaret Scott; Matthias C Angermeyer; Patricia Berglund; Evelyn J Bromet; Traolach S Brugha; Koen Demyttenaere; Giovanni de Girolamo; Josep Maria Haro; Robert Jin; Elie G Karam; Viviane Kovess-Masfety; Daphna Levinson; Maria Elena Medina Mora; Yutaka Ono; Johan Ormel; Beth-Ellen Pennell; Jose Posada-Villa; Nancy A Sampson; David Williams; Ronald C Kessler Journal: Arch Gen Psychiatry Date: 2009-07