Objective versus subjective socioeconomic disadvantage, experienced inequality, and wellbeing across adolescence

Abstract

Adolescents growing up in socioeconomic disadvantaged environments are more at risk for lower wellbeing. This study examined the associations between objective and subjective socioeconomic disadvantage (SED), experienced inequality, feelings of future uncertainty and wellbeing (n = 494, 11 – 26 years, 58% females). Our findings are fourfold: I) we confirmed a three-factor structure for SED – family resources, perceived financial hardship, and perceived neighbourhood disadvantage; II) subjective experience of SED uniquely contributed to future uncertainty and wellbeing, beyond the effects of objective SED; III) there was an indirect effect of perceived financial scarcity on wellbeing via future uncertainty; IV) age was differently associated with objective versus subjective SED, as the former decreased with age and the latter increased with age. Overall, our findings emphasize the unique role of subjective SED in contributing to adolescent wellbeing disparities, transcending the influence of objective SED.