A systematic review of depressed mood and anxiety by SES in youth aged 10-15 years

Objectives: A majority of population-based studies suggest prevalence of depressed mood and anxiety is most common during late adolescence to early adulthood. Mental health status has been linked previously to socio-economic status in adults. The purpose of this systematic literature review is to clarify if socio-economic status (SES) is a risk indicator of depressed mood or anxiety in youth between the ages of 10 to 15 years old. Methods: We performed a systematic literature review to identify published or unpublished papers between January 1, 1980 and October 31, 2006 that reviewed depressed mood or anxiety by SES in youth aged 10-15 years. Synthesis: We found nine studies that fulfilled our inclusion criteria and passed the methodological quality review. The prevalence of depressed mood or anxiety was 2.49 times higher (95% CI 2.33-2.67) in youth with low SES in comparison to youth with higher SES. Discussion: The evidence suggests that low SES has an inverse association with the prevalence of depressed mood and anxiety in youth between the ages of 10 to 15 years old. Higher rates of depressed mood and anxiety among lower socio-economic status youth may impact emotional development and limit future educational and occupational achievement. Conclusion: Lower socio-economic status is associated with higher rates of depressed mood and anxiety in youth.