Association of self-perceived income status with psychological distress and subjective well-being: a cross-sectional study among older adults in India

Abstract

Background As the older population aged 65 and over worldwide, is estimated to increase from 9% in 2019 to 16% in 2050, rapid aging will transform the aspects such as economic security, employment status, and family structure. The effects of lower levels of perceived income and poor socioeconomic status on the mental health of older adults appear to be large and enduring. Therefore, the present study contributes to the literature on understanding the association of socioeconomic conditions and self-perceived income status in particular, with self-assessed mental health outcomes (psychological distress and subjective well-being) among older adults in India. Methods Data for the present study was derived from the Building Knowledge Base on Population Ageing (BKPAI) in India. Bivariate and binary logistic regression analyses were conducted to understand the relationship between socioeconomic status and outcome variables. Results About 43% of older adults had no income whereas 7% had income but perceived as not sufficient to fulfil their basic needs. Nearly, 9% of older adults were retired from regular employment. Almost 70% older adults had received no pension and nearly 18% of older adults had no asset ownership. It is revealed that older adults with income that is partially sufficient to fulfil their basic needs were 2.23 times [OR: 2.23, CI: 1.75–2.84] and 1.96 times [OR: 1.96, CI: 1.55–2.47] significantly more likely to suffer from psychological distress and low subjective well-being than those who had income which was sufficient to fulfil their basic needs. Conclusions By focusing on four target areas such as the income support, education, family oriented initiatives and local or regional policies, the current framework for assessing the mental health among older adults in India can be modified. A move towards a guaranteed pension for eligible older individuals by which they do not have to remain as a financial burden on their children, may reduce their self-perceived economic distress and result in higher levels of wellbeing in older ages. Also, strategies to address socioeconomic disadvantages and gender differentials related to mental health status among older population are urgently needed.

How socioeconomic status, social capital and functional independence are associated with subjective wellbeing among older Indian adults? A structural equation modeling analysis

“…On the other hand, a few longitudinal studies found a decrease in life satisfaction in oldest old age groups [66,67]. Although some authors have argued that the task of evaluating SWB prompts individuals to focus on the objective circumstances such as wealth index and educational level [68], recent studies have shown an independent association of perceived income adequacy and late life wellbeing [69][70][71]. Consistently, older participants with a self-perceived income insufficiency had higher LSWB in the present study.…”

Socioeconomic and health-related inequalities in major depressive symptoms among older adults: a Wagstaff’s decomposition analysis of data from the LASI baseline survey, 2017–2018

“…Self-rated health (SRH) was coded as good which includes excellent, very good and good whereas poor includes fair and poor. 28 …”

“…This high rate could be partly explained through health problems, poverty and widowhood among women 22 23. Hence, educational status, gender/ethnic group, functional limitations, hearing difficulty, physical disability, perceived income inadequacy and living arrangement were significant correlates of depression and psychological distress among the young population24–26 and older adults 27–298.…”

Assessing socioeconomic inequalities in cognitive impairment among older adults: a study based on a cross-sectional survey in India

“…Thus, it is recommended in health disparities research to add cumulative and aggregate measures of socioeconomic status such as education, wealth, social class, and asset ownership which may perform better than measures of current position [ 13 ]. Similarly, recent evidence suggests that self-perceived (subjective) income sufficiency is a useful indicator of individuals’ socioeconomic resources as a determinant of health [ 14 , 15 ].…”