Individuals with depressive symptoms frequently experience stigma, which may lower self-esteem and increase social withdrawal, further exacerbating symptoms. The association between depressive symptoms and subjective social status (SSS; perceived standing within one's community) have previously been identified. However, no work has connected the constructs of SSS and self-stigma among people with depression. Participants (N = 230) who screened positive for current major depressive episode via a self-report completed an online survey. A significant negative association between SSS and overall stigma (p = .024) was observed, which was largely explained by general self-stigma (p = .016) and stigmatizing experiences (p = .015) subscales. The results offer preliminary evidence that SSS may be associated with negative social consequences of stigmatizing health conditions.
Keywords: major depressive disorder; mental illness; social determinants of health; stigma; subjective social status.
© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.