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Social Psychology of Mental Health: The Social Structure and Personality Perspective

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 April 2014

Esteban Sánchez Moreno  and
Ana Barrón López de Roda
Esteban Sánchez Moreno*
Affiliation:
Complutense University of Madrid
Ana Barrón López de Roda*
Affiliation:
Complutense University of Madrid
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to either Esteban Sánchez Moreno, Departamento de Sociología, Facultad de CC Políticas y Sociología, Campus de Somosaguas, 28223 Pozuelo, Madrid (Spain). E-mail: esteban.sanchez@cps.ucm.es; or to Ana Barrón López de Roda, Departamento de Psicología Social, Facultad de Psicología, Campus de Somosaguas, 28223 Pozuelo, Madrid (Spain). E-mail: ana.barron@psi.ucm.es
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to either Esteban Sánchez Moreno, Departamento de Sociología, Facultad de CC Políticas y Sociología, Campus de Somosaguas, 28223 Pozuelo, Madrid (Spain). E-mail: esteban.sanchez@cps.ucm.es; or to Ana Barrón López de Roda, Departamento de Psicología Social, Facultad de Psicología, Campus de Somosaguas, 28223 Pozuelo, Madrid (Spain). E-mail: ana.barron@psi.ucm.es
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Abstract

Previous research has revealed a persistent association between social structure and mental health. However, most researchers have focused only on the psychological and psychosocial aspects of that relationship. The present paper indicates the need to include the social and structural bases of distress in our theoretical models. Starting from a general social and psychological model, our research considered the role of several social, environmental, and structural variables (social position, social stressors, and social integration), psychological factors (self-esteem), and psychosocial variables (perceived social support). The theoretical model was tested working with a group of Spanish participants (N = 401) that covered a range of social positions. The results obtained using structural equation modeling support our model, showing the relevant role played by psychosocial, psychological and social, and structural factors. Implications for theory and intervention are discussed.

La investigación previa ha puesto de manifiesto la existencia de una asociación entre estructura social y salud mental. Sin embargo, la mayoría de los investigadores se ha centrado en los aspectos psicológicos y psicosociales de dicha relación. El presente trabajo defiende la necesidad de incluir en nuestros modelos teóricos las bases sociales y estructurales del deterioro psicológico. Partiendo de un modelo general, nuestra investigación consideró el papel jugado por diversas variables sociales, ambientales y estructurales (posición social, estresores sociales e integración social), psicológicas (autoestima) y psicosociales (apoyo social percibido). El modelo teórico se puso a prueba utilizando una muestra española (N = 401) que incluía diversas posiciones sociales. Los resultados obtenidos, utilizando el análisis de ecuaciones estructurales, apoyaron nuestro modelo, mostrando el relevante papel jugado por los factores psicológicos, psicosociales y estructurales. A la luz de estos datos, se discuten tanto las implicaciones teóricas como las correspondientes a la intervención.

Keywords

mental healthsocial structuresocial supportself-esteemsocial integrationsalud mentalestructura socialautoestimaapoyo socialintegración social
Type
Articles
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 6 , Issue 1 , May 2003 , pp. 3 - 11
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2003

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