Associations between subjective social status and psychological well-being among college students

Background:Higher subjective social status (SSS) is associated with better mental health among youth; however, few studies have examined youth’s perceptions of past (childhood) or future (adulthood) SSS. Methods:Utilizing latent profile analysis, we examined unique profiles of past, present, and future SSS among 401 college students in the United States and tested associations between these profiles and psychological well-being (ie, depressive symptoms, negative affect, positive affect, and flourishing), controlling for family socioeconomic status (SES). Results:Results revealed four profiles: Low SSS (8%), Upward SSS (18%), Moderate SSS (43%), and High SSS (31%). Youth in the High SSS profile had the best psychological well-being, and those in the Low SSS profile had the worst. While the Upward SSS profile was associated with depressive symptoms and negative affect, it was protective in terms of positive affect. Discussion: Findings highlight unique effects of upward SSS mobility. Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2021.1954010.