1. Differential Vulnerability McLeod JD, Kessler RC. Socioeconomic status differences in vulnerability to undesirable life events. J Health Soc Behav 1990;31:162. Presentation by Tracy Parker EPI 6181, November 2006

2. Background Lower SES groups appear more likely to experience undesirable life events than higher SES groups & lower SES groups are also more strongly affected emotionally (psychological distress) by undesirable life events than those in higher SES groups. McLeod first hypothesized that the increase in psychological distress was because experiencing more stressful life events would naturally cause more stress (cumulative impact). This was rejected. The difference in increased psychological distress has not been widely explained. Differential Vulnerability: proposes that this difference is due to lower SES being more disadvantaged in the resources available to them to cope with those events

3. Purpose To look at the nature of differential vulnerability by separating measures of life events (income loss, ill health, marital separation/divorce, other love loss, death of a loved one and network events) & measures of SES to identify which components of SES (family income, education or occupational status) are most important for understanding differential vulnerability.

4. Two types of resource proposed responsible for differential vulnerability Financial Resources Coping resources - social support - resilient personality characteristics

5. Financial Resources McLeod proposes that SES differences in distress result from financial vulnerability Lower status persons are disadvantaged because they experience a greater number of undesirable financial events (job losses, mortgage foreclosures) and do not have the financial resources to cope with those events Being poor causes increased vulnerability

6. Coping Resources That SES influences vulnerability indirectly through its relationship to a broader class of coping resources such as social support and resilient personality characteristics Lower SES groups have poorer integration into society leading to more psychological distress, lower education (ineffective coping strategies), and feelings of powerlessness

7. Findings Lower SES vulnerability is seen in a wide range of life events & not only for financial events, which may reflect more pervasive disadvantages inherent in the lives of low SES persons. No single component of SES predominates in determining lower SES vulnerability. However, lower income is consistently associated with exposure to more undesirable life events, more so than low education or low occupational status Although income determines most strongly how many & what types of events they experience, reactions were governed by level of education and occupational status Lower SES persons develop more symptoms of psychological distress than upper SES persons after a serious undesirable life event. High SES does not always alleviate the most distressing situations; such situations may vary according to other status characteristics. The nature of differential vulnerability remains unclear, although the findings suggest that a broader set of coping skills are responsible for vulnerability then merely financial resources. Social support and resilient personality characteristics may be important determinants of differential SES vulnerability as they influence a range of coping behaviors.

8. Social Support Research has failed to provide empirical evidence of social support as a determinant of differential vulnerability However, it is still thought to play a role and further descriptive research is warranted Buffering Hypothesis – suggested that available social support resources could buffer the effects of undesirable life events. Weak support for this

9. Personality Resiliency Suggests that lower SES groups have personality structures that predispose them to distress in face of crisis, such as low self-esteem and feelings of powerlessness Relationship between SES and socializing experiences throughout life may explain the proposed personality differences. Longitudinal and life course approaches Experiences that accompany higher education and occupational autonomy foster the development of positive self perceptions and cognitive flexibility – ability to deal with life events more effectively Experiences of stressful life events themselves may teach about mastery and personal control Combinations of life events vs. events examined in isolation may have importance

10. Key Message Differential vulnerability between socioeconomic groups is not only a result of financial constraints but reflects more pervasive disadvantages inherent in the lives of persons who occupy lower SES positions Complex issue with the need for further descriptive research, with consideration given to the impact of social support and resilient personality characteristics on vulnerability.