Subjective social status and health-related quality of life after critical illness: results from a three-year prospective cohort study

Subjective Social Status (SSS) reflects one's perceived rank within a given social structure and has been shown to be a unique correlate of physical and mental health. However, no research has been conducted to address populations of (recovering) critically ill patients. To shed light on the relationship between SSS and health in critically ill patients, we focus on survivors of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). A cohort study with <i>N</i> = 877 ARDS survivors was conducted in 61 intensive care units (ICUs) in Germany between 2014 and 2019. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL, Physical and Mental Component Scale: PCS, MCS of the SF-12) and SSS (MacArthur Scale) were assessed at 12, 24, and 36 months after discharge from ICU. Objective social status (Socioeconomic status [SES]) was assessed once at ICU baseline. Bivariate correlations between SSS and HRQoL (PCS and MCS) remain significant throughout the study period (<i>r</i> = .29 - .50, all p-values < .05). Subsequent hierarchical regression shows that SSS remains predictive for PCS and MCS even after controlling for SES (β = .335 - .486, all <i>p</i> values < .001). The results indicate the importance (and unique contribution) of the subjective localization within the status hierarchy for long-term HRQoL after critical illness.