Subjective social status, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation in US college students: A cross-sectional examination on race and gender

Objective: Grounded in the Social Rank Theory, this study examined the levels and associations of subjective social status (SSS), depressive symptoms (DEP), and suicidal ideation (SI). Participants: Participants included 956 U.S. college students (Mage = 19.94, SDage = 2.78; 75% females [n = 716], 24% males [n = 228], 41% Whites [n = 395], 59% students of color [n = 561]. Methods: Participants completed a questionnaire including their SSS, DEP, and SI. Results: Females scored significantly higher than males on DEP and SI. There was a significant, negative SSS-DEP correlation in males, females, Whites, students of color, males and females of color. A significant, negative SSS-DEP correlation was found in males, females, Whites, students of color, and females of color, except in males of color. The negative SSS-DEP and SSS-SI links were stronger in students of color than Whites. Conclusion: Study contributions, limitations, and practical implications are discussed.