Classism, Perceived Stress, and Mental Health Symptoms: Cross-Sectional Evidence from a Census-Matched U.S. Sample

Background/Objectives: Classism, or discrimination based on social class, is associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety symptoms. However, limited research has examined the psychological processes that may help explain these associations. The present study tested whether perceived stress statistically mediated the associations between experienced and anticipated classism and mental health symptoms. Methods: A U.S. census-matched sample on age, gender, race/ethnicity, income, and census region (n = 1993) was analyzed. Missing data were addressed using Bayesian multiple imputation, and mediation models estimated total, direct, and indirect effects. Results: Results indicated that perceived stress statistically accounted for the associations between both experienced and anticipated classism and higher depression and anxiety symptoms, even after adjusting for income and education. In exploratory analyses, individuals living at or below the federal poverty line reported a higher likelihood of experiencing classism, and perceived stress significantly mediated the association between experienced classism and mental health symptoms within this population. Conclusions: These findings provide preliminary evidence that perceived stress is a statistical mediator of the association between classism and mental health symptoms. Future prospective and experimental work is required to establish potential causal relationships between the constructs.