Stressors tied to low income account for much of increased risk
People who earn less are more likely to suffer from anxiety or depression than those who earn more, according to a study from Statistics Canada.
Income and Psychological Distress: The Role of the Social Environment looked at 11,058 individuals over a 12-year period ending in 2006/2007. Of these individuals, who all had low psychological distress in 1994/1995, 11 per cent experienced an episode of high distress (anxiety or depression) in the ensuing 12 years.
However, the proportion of lower-income men and women experiencing episodes of high distress was greater than their more affluent counterparts. Lower-income men had a 58-per-cent greater risk of becoming distressed and lower-income women had a 25-per-cent greater risk.
Earlier research has suggested that the poorer mental health of lower-income individuals may be related to the higher prevalence of stressors to which they are exposed, and their lack of coping support.
The new findings showed that stressors play an important role in the relationship between household income and psychological distress. When the impact of stressors was taken into account, the direct association between income and the subsequent risk of experiencing an episode of distress was reduced, by 22 per cent for men and 36 per cent for women.
For both sexes, the stressors associated with experiencing an episode of psychological distress were job strain, financial problems, personal stress and relationship problems.
For men, neighbourhood problems such as higher incdients of crime, were also a factor. For women, problems with children and recent negative life events, such as someone in the family being demoted at work or failing an education program, were important.
