Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dlnhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T08:18:19.546Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Social Psychology of Mental Health: The Social Structure and Personality Perspective

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 April 2014

Esteban Sánchez Moreno  and
Ana Barrón López de Roda
Esteban Sánchez Moreno*
Affiliation:
Complutense University of Madrid
Ana Barrón López de Roda*
Affiliation:
Complutense University of Madrid
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to either Esteban Sánchez Moreno, Departamento de Sociología, Facultad de CC Políticas y Sociología, Campus de Somosaguas, 28223 Pozuelo, Madrid (Spain). E-mail: [email protected]; or to Ana Barrón López de Roda, Departamento de Psicología Social, Facultad de Psicología, Campus de Somosaguas, 28223 Pozuelo, Madrid (Spain). E-mail: [email protected]
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to either Esteban Sánchez Moreno, Departamento de Sociología, Facultad de CC Políticas y Sociología, Campus de Somosaguas, 28223 Pozuelo, Madrid (Spain). E-mail: [email protected]; or to Ana Barrón López de Roda, Departamento de Psicología Social, Facultad de Psicología, Campus de Somosaguas, 28223 Pozuelo, Madrid (Spain). E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Previous research has revealed a persistent association between social structure and mental health. However, most researchers have focused only on the psychological and psychosocial aspects of that relationship. The present paper indicates the need to include the social and structural bases of distress in our theoretical models. Starting from a general social and psychological model, our research considered the role of several social, environmental, and structural variables (social position, social stressors, and social integration), psychological factors (self-esteem), and psychosocial variables (perceived social support). The theoretical model was tested working with a group of Spanish participants (N = 401) that covered a range of social positions. The results obtained using structural equation modeling support our model, showing the relevant role played by psychosocial, psychological and social, and structural factors. Implications for theory and intervention are discussed.

La investigación previa ha puesto de manifiesto la existencia de una asociación entre estructura social y salud mental. Sin embargo, la mayoría de los investigadores se ha centrado en los aspectos psicológicos y psicosociales de dicha relación. El presente trabajo defiende la necesidad de incluir en nuestros modelos teóricos las bases sociales y estructurales del deterioro psicológico. Partiendo de un modelo general, nuestra investigación consideró el papel jugado por diversas variables sociales, ambientales y estructurales (posición social, estresores sociales e integración social), psicológicas (autoestima) y psicosociales (apoyo social percibido). El modelo teórico se puso a prueba utilizando una muestra española (N = 401) que incluía diversas posiciones sociales. Los resultados obtenidos, utilizando el análisis de ecuaciones estructurales, apoyaron nuestro modelo, mostrando el relevante papel jugado por los factores psicológicos, psicosociales y estructurales. A la luz de estos datos, se discuten tanto las implicaciones teóricas como las correspondientes a la intervención.

Keywords

mental healthsocial structuresocial supportself-esteemsocial integrationsalud mentalestructura socialautoestimaapoyo socialintegración social
Type
Articles
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 6 , Issue 1 , May 2003 , pp. 3 - 11
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2003

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Álvaro, J.L. (1992). Desempleo y bienestar psicológico. Madrid: Siglo XXI.Google Scholar
Arbuckle, J.L. (1997). Amos users'guide (Version 3.6). Chicago: Smallwaters CorporationGoogle Scholar
Avison, R., & Gotlib, I.H. (1994). Introduction and overview. In Avison, W.R. & Gotlib, I.H. (Eds.), Stress and mental health. Contemporary issues and prospects for the future (pp. 3–12). New York: Plenum Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bachman, J.G., & O'Malley, P.M. (1977). Self-esteem in young men: A longitudinal analysis of the impact of educational and occupational attainment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 35, 356–380.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Banks, M.H. (1983). Validation of the General Health Questionnairein a young community sample. Psychological Medicine, 3, 349–353.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barrón, A. (1993). La psicología comunitaria: una disciplina en busca de paradigma. Apuntes de Psicología, 32, 33–36.Google Scholar
Bollen, K.A. (1989). Structural equations with latent variables. New York: Wiley.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brage, D. & Meredith, W. (1994). A causal model of adolescent depression. Journal of Psychology, 128, 455–468.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brown, G.W., & Harris, T. (1978). Social origins of depression. A study of psychiatric disorder in women. London: Tavistock.Google Scholar
Carmines, E.G., & Zeller, R.A. (1979). Reliability and validity assessment. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cochrane, R., & Sobol, M.P. (1980). Life stresses and psychological consequences. In Feldman, P. & Orford, J. (Eds.), The social psychology of psychological problems (pp. 151–182). Chichester, UK: Wiley.Google Scholar
Cohen, S., & Wills, T.A. (1985). Stress, social support and the buffering hypothesis. Psychological Bulletin, 98, 310–357.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cutrona, C.E. (1986). Behavioral manifestations of social support: A microanalytic investigation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 201–208.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Durkheim, E. (1976). El suicidio. Madrid: Akal. (Original work published 1897).Google Scholar
Giddens, A. (1973). The class structure of advanced societies. London: Hutchinson.Google Scholar
Goldberg, D.P. (1978). Manual for the General Health Questionnaire. Windsor: National Foundation for Educational Research.Google Scholar
Gore, S., & Aseltine, R.H. (1995). Protective processes in adolescence: Matching stressors with social resources. American Journal of Community Psychology, 23, 301–327.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gray-Little, B., Williams, V.S.L., & Hancock, T.D. (1997). An item response theory analysis for the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 23, 443–451.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hepworth, S.J. (1980). Moderating factors of the psychological impact of unemployment. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 53, 139–145.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Herrero, J., Gracia, E., & Musitu, G. (1996). Salud y comunidad. Evaluación de los recursos y estresores. Valencia, Spain: CSV.Google Scholar
House, J.S. (1977). The three faces of social psychology. Sociometry, 40, 161–177.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
House, J.S. (1981). Social structure and personality. In Rosenberg, M. & Turner, R.H. (Eds.), Social psychology. Sociological perspectives (pp. 525–561). New York: Basic Books.Google Scholar
House, J., & Mortimer, J. (1990). Social structure and the individual: Emerging themes and new directions. Social Psychology Quarterly, 53, 71–80.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kohn, M.L. (1976). Occupational structure and alienation. American Journal of Sociology, 82, 111–130.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kunovich, R. M., & Hodson, R. (1999). Civil war, social integration and mental health in Croatia. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 40, 323–343.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lin, N., Ye, X., & Ensel, W.M. (1999). Social support and depressed mood: A structural analysis. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 40, 344–359.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marx, K. (1985). Manuscritos: Economía y filosofía. Madrid: Alianza. (Original work published 1844.)Google Scholar
Mirowsky, J., & Ross, C.E. (1989). Social causes of psychological distress. New York: Aldine de Gruyter.Google Scholar
Mortimer, J.T., & Lorence, J. (1979). Occupational experience and the self concept: A longitudinal study. Social Psychology Quarterly, 42, 307–323.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parkin, F. (1979). Marxism and class theory: A bourgeois critique. London: Tavistock.Google Scholar
Pastor, A., Navarro, E., Tomás, J.M., & Oliver, A. (1997). Efectos de método en escalas de personalidad: La escala de autoestima de Rosenberg. Psicológica, 18, 269–283.Google Scholar
Pearlin, L.I. (1989). The sociological study of stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 30, 241–256.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Poulantzas, N. (1977). Classes in contemporary capitalism. London: NLB.Google Scholar
Roberts, B.R. (1987). A confirmatory factor-analytic model of alienation. Social Psychology Quarterly, 50, 346–351.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roberts, J.E., & Gotlib, I.H. (1997). Temporal variability in global self-esteem and specific self-evaluation as prospective predictors of emotional distress: Specificity in predictors and outcome. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 106, 521–529.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton, NJ: University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sánchez, E. (1998). Apoyo social, integración social y salud mental. Revista de Psicología Social, 13, 537–544.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Seeman, M. (1959). On the meaning of alienation. AmericanSociological Review, 24, 783–791.Google Scholar
Seeman, M. (1983). Alienation motifs in contemporary theorizing: The hidden continuity of the classic themes. Social Psychology Quarterly, 46, 171–184.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stafford, E. M. (1982). The impact of the youth opportunities programme on young people's employment prospects and psychological well-being. British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 10, 12–21.Google Scholar
Stoppard, J.M. (1998). Dis-ordering depression in women. Theory and Psychology, 8, 79–99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thoits, P.A. (1982). Life stress, social support, and psychological vulnerability: Epidemiological considerations. Journal of Community Psychology, 10, 341–362.3.0.CO;2-J>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Turner, R.J., & Lloyd, D.A. (1999). The stress process and the social distribution of depression. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 40, 374–404.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Van Parijs, P. (1993). Una revolución en la teoría de clases. In Carabaña, J. & de Francisco, A. (Eds.), Teorías contemporáneas de las clases sociales (pp. 187–225). Madrid: Pablo Iglesias.Google Scholar
Warr, P., & Jackson, P. (1983). Self-esteem and unemployment among young workers. Le Travail Humain, 46, 355–366.Google Scholar
Wethington, E., & Kessler, R.C. (1986). Perceived support, received support, and adjustment to stressful life events. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 27, 78–89.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Williams, D.R. (1990). Socioeconomic differentials in health: A review and redirection. Social Psychology Quarterly, 53, 81–99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wright, E. O. (1989). Classes. London: Verso.Google Scholar
Wicker, A.W. (1989). Substantive theorizing. American Journal of Community Psychology, 17, 531–547.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed