A Parametric Analysis of Socioeconomic Status: How SES Relates to Psychological Health

Date of Award

2018

Document Type

Doctoral Research Paper

Degree Name

Psy.D.

Organizational Unit

Graduate School of Professional Psychology

First Advisor

Lynett Henderson Metzger

Second Advisor

Artur Poczwardowski

Third Advisor

Sonja Holt

Keywords

Socioeconomic status, Social class, Poverty, Parametric analysis, Descriptive psychology

Abstract

The impacts of socioeconomic status (SES) on physical health and mental health are well-established in research literature. Chronic stress, environmental factors, and social factors such as educational attainment and low social connection contribute to decreased physical and psychological health. However, the explicit definition of what constitutes SES remains unclear. In this project, a parametric analysis of socioeconomic status examines the range of facts associated with being in different socioeconomic statuses. The parametric analysis aims to provide a clear and comprehensive conceptual formulation of socioeconomic status and helps to delineate how different socioeconomic statuses can shift a person’s place in the world. The brief examination of four clinical cases supports the analysis and provides a context for its utility. Socioeconomic status can be seen to fundamentally shape a person’s experience of and perspective on the world. This conceptual tool can assist clinicians in identifying when socioeconomic status is overly restrictive on a person’s world along with specifying which parameters of socioeconomic status are at play in their clients’ lives. It also allows for a more precise and comprehensive description of SES in different cultural contexts.

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. Permanently suppressed.

Extent

45 pages

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