The social gradient in adolescent mental health: mediated or moderated by belief in a just world?

Abstract

Purpose. A social gradient in adolescent mental health exists: adolescents with higher so-cioeconomic status (SES) have fewer mental health problems than their peers with lower SES. Little is known about whether adolescents’ societal beliefs play a role in this social gradient. Belief in a just world (BJW) may be a mediator or moderator of the social gradient in adolescent mental health.Methods. Using data from 1,130 adolescents (Mage = 17) in the Netherlands, path analyses examined whether two indicators of BJW (general and personal) mediated or moderated the associations between two indicators of SES (family affluence and perceived family wealth), and four indicators of adolescent mental health problems (emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity and peer problems).Results. Adolescents with lower perceived family wealth reported more emotional symp-toms and peer problems, and these associations were partly mediated by lower personal and general BJW. Furthermore, higher personal BJW amplified the negative association be-tween SES and peer problems.Conclusion. This study suggests BJW may both mediate and amplify the social gradient in adolescent mental health. Adolescents’ beliefs about society may be important to include in research aimed at understanding this social gradient.