Social class, assets, organizational control and the prevalence of common groups of psychiatric disorders

This study provides an update on the association between social class and c ommon types of psychiatric disorder in the US. In addition to usual measure s of social class, we provide hypotheses for the expectation that assets an d organizational control are associated with specific varieties of psychiat ric disorders (mood, anxiety, alcohol and drug use disorders). We analyzed two surveys. The National Comorbidity Survey conducted in 1990- 1992 yielded 12-month prevalence rates in a probability sample of 8098 resp ondents in the 48 contiguous states. The Epidemiologic Catchment Area Follo w-up conducted in 1993-1996 provided similar rates among 1920 East Baltimor e residents. Analyses of the National Comorbidity Survey showed an inverse association b etween financial and physical assets and mood, anxiety, alcohol, and drug d isorders. The Epidemiologic Catchment Area Followup provided additional evi dence for the inverse association between financial and physical assets and anxiety, alcohol and drug disorders. Also in the Epidemiologic Catchment A rea, lower level supervisors presented higher rates of depression and anxie ty disorders than higher level managers. Inequalities in assets and organiz ational control, as well as typical measures of social class, are associate d with specific psychiatric disorders. These constructs can provide additio nal explanations for why social inequalities in psychiatric disorders occur . (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.