Subjective Social Status and Rumination in Relation to Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms and Psychopathology Among Economically Disadvantaged Latinos in Primary Care

The present investigation examined the interactive effects of subjective social status and rumination in relation to anxiety/depressive symptoms and psychopathology among 276 Latinos (82% female; Mage = 39.2, SD = 11.1; 97.0% reported Spanish as first language) who attended a community-based primary health care clinic. Results indicated that the interaction between rumination and subjective social status was significantly associated with depression (B = −.04, t = −3.52, p < .001, 95% CI [−.06, −.02]), social anxiety (B = −.01, t = −3.84, p < .001, 95% CI [−.02, −.01]), and the number of mood and anxiety disorders (B = −.004, t = −2.80, p = .005, 95% CI [−.006, −.001]), after controlling for main effects of rumination and subjective social status. The form of the interactions suggested that the associations of rumination and the outcome variables were stronger for those with lower compared to higher subjective social status. For anxious arousal symptoms, however, there was not a statistically significant interaction. These findings underscore the potential importance of examining the interplay between rumination and subjective social status in regard to better understanding, and intervening to reduce, various forms of anxiety/depressive symptoms and disorders among Latinos in primary care settings. Public Policy Relevance Statement The impact of maladaptive thinking styles, like rumination, may be more strongly associated with mental health outcomes for those coming from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. It is important to consider not only underlying processes in mental health, but environmental/contextual factors, like social status.