The Social Gradient in Adolescent Mental Health: The Mediating Role of Adolescents’ Social Cognitions

Can social cognitions help explain why adolescents with lower socioeconomic status (SES) have worse mental health? Using data from 1,170 Dutch adolescents, we found SES was positively associated with three social cognitions (self-esteem, sense of control, and optimism) and these cognitions, in turn, were negatively associated with mental health problems.