The role of negative affect in the relation between subjective social status and mental health among economically disadvantaged Latinos in primary care

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the explanatory role of negative affect in the relation between subjective social status and anxiety/depressive disorders, suicidality symptoms, and disruption in life domains (i.e. disability; work/school, social life, and family life/home responsibilities) among Latinos seeking health services at a primary healthcare facility. Design/methodology/approach - An experiment was designed using participants including 205 adult Latinos (M-age = 39.2; SD = 11.4) with annual incomes of less than $30,000. The sample was mostly female (85.9 percent) with a majority (98.5 percent) indicating Spanish as their first language. Findings - Results indicated that subjective social status was indirectly related to the mental health variables through negative affect. Notably, these observed effects were evident above and beyond the variance accounted for by gender, age, marital status, educational status, employment status, and number of years in the USA. Research limitations/implications - The present findings suggest that there is merit in focusing further scientific attention on the interplay between subjective social status and negative affect to better understand and possibly intervene to reduce anxiety/depressive vulnerability and disability among Latinos in primary care settings. Originality/value - The current study sheds light on the relationship between social status and negative affect in the Latino population. Elucidating mental health in a minority population such as the Latino population provides insight into the mental health needs among minorities that have yet to be addressed.