(PS8-D87) How Does Subjective Community Social Status Affect Well-being and Prosocial Behavior Among Adolescents?

Socioeconomic inequities impact physical health (Schwartz, 2017), brain functioning (Alvarez et al., 2022), and emotional well-being (Allen et al., 2014). Beyond objective measures of social position (e.g., education level and household income), one’s subjective relative social status is significantly associated with mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders (Scott et al., 2014). Higher social capital and subjective community social status are associated with greater well-being, life satisfaction, and prosocial behavior (Helliwell et al., 2017). In adolescence, increased subjective family social status is associated with increased optimism, even after controlling for family income and neighborhood poverty (Rivenbark et al., 2019). Well-being and prosociality are particularly important to study during adolescence due to the increased focus on peer relationships and vulnerability to internalizing psychopathology during this developmental period (McLaughlin & King, 2015). Thus, the present analysis aims to identify how subjective community social status may be associated with well-being and prosociality in adolescents.

The Duke Preschool Anxiety Study recruited 917 parent-child dyads (Mage(child)=3.4 years) and followed up in adolescence. Enrollment is ongoing. Present analyses include 218 parent-child dyads who completed measures of well-being and prosociality (Mage(adolescent) = 17.1 years). Adolescent subjective community social status was measured using the Macarthur Scale of Subjective Social Status. Adolescent well-being was measured using self-reports on the Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment (PERMA) survey. Adolescent prosociality was measured using self-reports on the Revised Peer Experience Questionnaire (RPEQ) survey. Linear regressions were conducted to delineate the relationship between adolescent subjective community social status and (1) wellbeing and (2) prosociality. Our analyses controlled for age, gender, household income and highest parent education. We found that a higher adolescent subjective social status is associated with higher levels of adolescent well-being (β=0.38, t(21) = 5.60, p< 0.001), and higher levels of adolescent prosociality (β=0.23, t(21) = 3.15, p=0.002). 

Consistent with the literature in adult populations, higher subjective social status was associated with greater prosocial behavior in adolescents. Results highlight the importance of community belongingness and self-perception for adolescent well-being and prosociality. Increased prosocial behavior predicts positive changes in emotional well-being. Future analyses may investigate racial, ethnic, and gender group differences in subjective community social status and prosociality. Further research may elucidate protective factors for internalizing psychopathology in adolescence, such as subjective community social status and prosociality.