Evidence mapPaperPMID 40643383Full record

SynthesisEpidemiologic reviews2025

Socioeconomic status and depression-a systematic review.

Anders Jespersen, Rebecca A Madden, Heather C Whalley, Rebecca M Reynolds, Stephen M Lawrie, Andrew M McIntosh, Matthew H Iveson

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Epidemiologic reviews, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
19citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

19 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Association of the C-1019G (rs6295) Polymorphism of theDiseases (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Trends in depressive symptoms in Germany's adult population 2008-2023.Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology · 2026
    Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Review
  16. Review
  17. Article
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  19. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Anders JespersenInstitute of Biology, Aarhus Universitet, Aarhus, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0001-7607-6536
Rebecca A MaddenCentre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0003-1617-3822
Heather C WhalleyCentre for Developmental Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-4505-8869
Rebecca M ReynoldsCentre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0001-6226-8270
Stephen M LawrieCentre for Developmental Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-2444-5675
Andrew M McIntoshDivision of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-0198-4588
Matthew H IvesonCentre for Developmental Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-7242-0456

Funding

Wellcome Trust 108890/Z/15/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Low socioeconomic status (SES) has been associated with an increased risk of depression and psychiatric disorders in general. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we provide an estimate of the risk of clinical depression associated with low SES across cultures, age groups, and study designs. Finally, we tested whether associations between SES and depression differed by the income of the country in which the study was conducted. A literature search across 5 databases returned 7943 studies. Title, abstract, and full-text screening resulted in 162 included studies of which 122 were meta-analyzed, 22 were included in a cross-sectional narrative review, and 19 studies were included in a longitudinal narrative review. Meta-analyses were divided into risk estimates for composite SES, income, education, and employment. Sensitivity analyses based on differences in economic situation in the country of study origin were performed to investigate a possible source of between-study heterogeneity. Low SES was associated with an increased risk of depression across all measures of SES. Low income was associated with the highest odds ratio for depression (1.96; 95% CI, 1.53-2.52). Sensitivity analyses revealed no significant differences in between-study heterogeneity or risk of depression between high- and low-income economy groups. Comparable risks of depression across economy groups suggest that income relative to your peers, rather than absolute income, is a risk factor for depression. Preventive measures and possible policy interventions are discussed.

Indexed as

DepressionSocial ClassHumansIncomeRisk Factorsdepressioneducationincomemeta-analysissocioeconomic statussystematic reviewunemployment

Identifiers

PMID40643383
PMCPMC12448611

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.