SES, Mental Health, and Public Health Behavior Models
This paper examines three interconnected dimensions of public health. First, it analyzes the inverse relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and health outcomes, drawing on divergence theory and research linking higher SES to reduced morbidity and mortality across the lifespan. Second, it discusses racial, socioeconomic, and gender-based disparities in mental illness rates, with particular attention to how stress, stigma, and community factors shape these differences. Third, it compares the Health Belief Model and the Theory of Reasoned Action/Theory of Planned Behavior, ultimately arguing that the Health Belief Model is the more appropriate framework for a public health intervention aimed at decreasing diabetes in the African American community through health education.
- SES and Health Outcomes: The Inverse Relationship: Higher SES linked to lower morbidity and mortality
- Subjective Perceptions of SES and Health: Perceived affluence influences health and life satisfaction
- Mental Illness Disparities by Race, SES, and Gender: Race, SES, and gender shape mental illness rates
- Stigma, Stress, and Community Factors in Mental Health: Stigma and community support mediate mental health risk
- The Health Belief Model: Framework linking knowledge, attitudes, and health behavior
- The Theory of Reasoned Action and Theory of Planned Behavior: Six constructs predict voluntary behavioral intentions
- Applying the Health Belief Model to Diabetes Prevention: Health Belief Model chosen for diabetes intervention
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What makes this paper effective
- It systematically integrates empirical studies (Prus, 2004; Rarick et al., 2016; Moreno-Agostino et al., 2021) to build a layered argument rather than relying on broad generalizations alone.
- The paper distinguishes between objective SES measures and subjective perceptions of SES, adding nuance that strengthens its analysis of health outcome disparities.
- The comparative section on behavioral theories is grounded in specific constructs, making the final application recommendation clearly justified.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates the use of multiple frameworks — divergence theory, the Health Belief Model, and the Theory of Planned Behavior — to examine a single policy problem from several theoretical angles. This multi-framework approach allows the writer to evaluate competing models critically before selecting the most appropriate one for a specific intervention context, a technique central to applied public health scholarship.
Structure breakdown
The paper is organized around three discrete prompt questions. The first section establishes the SES–health gradient and introduces both objective and subjective dimensions of SES. The second section addresses mental health disparities across race, SES, and gender, with stress and stigma as unifying concepts. The third section compares two behavioral theories in detail before recommending one for a diabetes-reduction intervention targeting the African American community. Each section builds on shared themes of inequality, perception, and behavioral determinants.
SES and Health Outcomes: The Inverse Relationship
Money may not buy happiness, but it does buy better health and therefore longer life. The multiple variables involved in this calculus include the fact that affluent people can afford healthier foods, visit healthcare providers for preventive checkups as well as whenever illness requires it, and enjoy a less stress- and depression-filled lifestyle due to fewer financial worries. They are also more able to participate in activities that provide physical fitness and joy. This is not to say that less affluent people never experience joy or a decent meal, but poor people may avoid visiting a healthcare provider or purchasing needed medicine due to a lack of funds, or go without meals so that their children can have enough to eat.
A growing body of scholarship confirms the positive relationship between higher socioeconomic status (SES) and better health and longevity. For example, a seminal study by Prus (2004) used divergence theory to test the hypothesis that higher SES levels serve to reduce morbidity and mortality rates over the lifespan. The key finding that emerged from this study was that, "while adults from all socio-economic status (SES) levels generally encounter a decline in health as they grow older, research shows that health status is tied to SES at all stages of life" (Prus, 2004, p. 145).
Furthermore, the strength of this positive relationship tends to increase as affluent people grow older. Prus (2004) also notes that, "multiple linear regression analyses show support for this assumption; that is, the relationship between SES (measured by years of education and annual household income) and health (measured by self-rated and functional health indexes) strengthens with age" (p. 145). These findings indicate that the reverse is also true: lower SES levels adversely affect morbidity and mortality rates over the lifespan, and this effect intensifies with age as individuals grow older and become more vulnerable to age-related disorders.
References
Boyd, A., Van De Velde, S., Vilagut, G., De Graaf, R., O'Neill, S., Florescu, S., et al. (2015). Gender differences in mental disorders and suicidality in Europe: Results from a large cross-sectional population-based study. Journal of Affective Disorders, 173, 245–254.
Foster, S., & O'Mealey, M. (2022). Socioeconomic status and mental illness stigma: The impact of mental illness controllability attributions and personal responsibility judgments. Journal of Mental Health, 31(1), 58–65.
Misra, S., Jackson, V. W., Chong, J., Choe, K., Tay, C., Wong, J., & Yang, L. H. (2021). Systematic review of cultural aspects of stigma and mental illness among racial and ethnic minority groups in the United States: Implications for interventions. American Journal of Community Psychology, 68(3–4), 486–512.
Moradi, Z., Tavafian, S. S., & Kazemi, S. S. (2022). Educational intervention program based on health belief model and neck pain prevention behaviors in school teachers in Tehran. BMC Public Health, 22(1), 1–9.
Moreno-Agostino, D., de la Fuente, J., Leonardi, M., Koskinen, S., Tobiasz-Adamczyk, B., Sánchez-Niubò, A., Chatterji, S., Haro, J. M., Ayuso-Mateos, J. L., & Miret, M. (2021). Mediators of the socioeconomic status and life satisfaction relationship in older adults: A multi-country structural equation modeling approach. Aging & Mental Health, 25(3), 585–592.
Prus, S. G. (2004). A life course perspective on the relationship between socio-economic status and health: Testing the divergence hypothesis. Canadian Journal on Aging, 23, 145–153.
Rarick, J. R. D., Dolan, C. T., Han, W., & Wen, J. (2018). Relations between socioeconomic status, subjective social status, and health in Shanghai, China. Social Science Quarterly, 99(1), 390–405.
Silva, A. C. S., Alvarenga, P., Barros, L., & de Mendonça Filho, E. J. (2022). Chronic illness and child behavior problems in low-SES families: The mediation of caregivers' mental health. Journal of Child & Family Studies, 31(9), 2594–2607.
The theory of planned behavior. (2022). Boston University School of Public Health. Retrieved from https://sphweb.bumc.bu.edu/otlt/mph-modules/sb/behavioralchangetheories/BehavioralChangeTheories3.html
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