Early life stress, subjective social status, and health during late adolescence

Danny Rahal; Jessica J Chiang; Melissa Fales; Andrew J Fuligni; Martie G Haselton; George M Slavich; Theodore F Robles

doi:10.1080/08870446.2020.1761977

Early life stress, subjective social status, and health during late adolescence

Psychol Health. 2020 Dec;35(12):1531-1549. doi: 10.1080/08870446.2020.1761977. Epub 2020 May 13.

Authors

Danny Rahal¹, Jessica J Chiang², Melissa Fales¹, Andrew J Fuligni^{1

3

4}, Martie G Haselton¹, George M Slavich^{3

4}, Theodore F Robles^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
² Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA.
³ Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁴ Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Abstract

Objective: Both lower subjective social status (SSS)-or viewing oneself as having lower status relative to others-and greater early life stress consistently relate to poorer health in adolescence. Early life stress can also negatively influence one's social relationships and may thereby shape social status. The present studies investigated how early life stress relates to the development of SSS and how SSS relates to health across the transition to college.Design: In Study 1, 91 older adolescents (M_age = 18.37) reported early life stress, society SSS, and school SSS, and they reported their society SSS and school SSS again 2 years later. In Study 2, 94 first-year college students (M_age = 18.20) reported early life stress and society SSS at study entry and reported their dorm SSS, university SSS, and mental health monthly throughout the year.Results: Greater early life stress was related to lower society SSS, but not school SSS, in both studies. In Study 2, dorm and university SSS and early life stress were uniquely related to mental health, although associations weakened over time.Conclusion: Early life stress may predispose people to have low society SSS, and both low school SSS and high early life stress may increase risk for poorer health during transition periods.

Keywords: Subjective social status; college transition; early life stress; mental health; social status.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adverse Childhood Experiences / psychology*
Child Health / standards*
Female
Humans
Male
Psychological Distance

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding