Social mobility over the lifecourse and self reported mental health at age 50: prospective cohort study

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of socioeconomic status throughout the lifecourse on self reported mental health at age 50 years. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study SETTING: Community setting in Newcastle upon Tyne, north east England. PARTICIPANTS: 503 subjects from a birth cohort assembled in 1947 who completed the 28 item version of the general health questionnaire (GHQ-28). MAIN RESULTS: There was an association between socioeconomic group at birth and reporting a clinically significant GHQ-28 score at age 50 (OR 5.5 95% CI 1.2 to 25.4 comparing the least with the most advantaged socioeconomic group). A downward socioeconomic trajectory over the whole lifecourse was associated with poorer self reported mental health in men (p<0.001) but not women (p=0.8). CONCLUSIONS: Socioeconomic position throughout the lifecourse may act differently on mental health at middle age depending on a person's sex.