Chinese residents’ socioeconomic status, depression, and well-being in life: Analysis based on the China General Social Survey 2018

Abstract

I used data from 12,340 respondents to the 2018 China General Social Survey to explore the relationship of Chinese residents’ socioeconomic status (SES) with depression and well-being. I performed multiple linear regression analyses with depression and well-being in life as dependent variables and SES as the independent variable to explore the relationships among the above variables and the differences in these relationships in terms of gender and residence in an urban versus rural area. The results showed that SES was significantly and negatively correlated with depression and significantly and positively correlated with well-being in life. In other words, the higher the SES, the lower the level of depression and the greater the well-being in life. In addition, the relationship between SES and depression varied according to gender, with SES more prominently associated with depression in women; however, the effect of gender was nonsignificant in the relationship between SES and well-being in life. Similarly, living in an urban or rural area did not have a significant influence on the association of SES with depression and well-being in life. These findings add to understanding of SES in relation to depression and wellbeing in life among people in China.