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1 results

  • Inter-generational longitudinal study of social class and depression: A test of social causation and social selection models

  • Jennifer E. B. Ritsher, Virginia Warner, Jeffrey G. Johnson, Bruce P. Dohrenwend
  • Journal:
    The British Journal of Psychiatry / Volume 178 / Issue S40 / April 2001
    Published online by Cambridge University Press:
    02 January 2018, pp. s84-s90
    Print publication:
    April 2001
    • Article
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  • Background

    Generations of epidemiologists have documented an association between low socio-economic status (SES) and depression (variously defined), but debate continues as to which is the causative factor.

    Aims

    To test the extent to which social causation (low SES causing depression) and social selection (depression causing low SES) processes are in evidence in an inter-generational longitudinal study.

    Method

    Participants (n=756) were interviewed up to four times over 17 years using the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (SADS).

    Results

    Low parental education was associated with increased risk for offspring depression, even after controlling for parental depression, offspring gender and offspring age. Neither parental nor offspring depression predicted later levels of offspring occupation, education or income.

    Conclusion

    There is evidence for an effect of parental SES on offspring depression (social causation) but not for an effect of either parental or offspring depression on offspring SES (social selection).