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Author: Mossakowski, Krysia N.
Resulting in 10 citations.
1. Mossakowski, Krysia N.
A Social Psychological Perspective of Racial/Ethnic Inequality in Wealth
Presented: Denver CO, American Sociological Association Annual Meeting, August 2012
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: American Sociological Association
Keyword(s): Assets; Ethnic Differences; Locus of Control (see Rotter Scale); Racial Differences; Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) (see Self-Esteem); Self-Esteem; Wealth

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Our knowledge remains limited about why there are large racial/ethnic differences in wealth among the middle class in the United States. Owning a home and having positive net worth (i.e., more assets than debts) are important aspirations for the middle class because they signify wealth. This study uses a social psychological perspective to explore whether the effects of earlier psychological dispositions on these indicators of wealth differ for Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites. Results reveal that a stronger sense of personal control over life and higher self-esteem significantly increase the odds of achieving positive net worth and homeownership, controlling for race/ethnicity, other demographics, educational attainment, current employment, income, and the socioeconomic status of the family of origin. Moreover, interaction effects indicate that the influence of internal locus of control on wealth is stronger for Whites than Blacks. Overall, this study’s findings suggest that the journey between social origins and destinations does not simply need socioeconomic resources, but also psychological resources that come from within the self-concept of the individual. The public policy and mental health implications for the Black middle class are discussed.
Bibliography Citation
Mossakowski, Krysia N. "A Social Psychological Perspective of Racial/Ethnic Inequality in Wealth." Presented: Denver CO, American Sociological Association Annual Meeting, August 2012.
2. Mossakowski, Krysia N.
Disadvantaged Family Background and Depression among Young Adults in the United States: The Roles of Chronic Stress and Self-Esteem
Stress and Health 31,1 (February 2015): 52-62.
Also: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/smi.2526/full
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: Wiley Online
Keyword(s): Depression (see also CESD); Parental Influences; Poverty; Self-Esteem; Socioeconomic Status (SES); Stress

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Although several longitudinal studies have demonstrated that having a disadvantaged family background is a risk factor for subsequent symptoms of depression, few studies have examined the mediating mechanisms that explain this long-term relationship. Thus, this study uses US national longitudinal data and integrates social stress theory with the life course perspective by focusing on two mediating mechanisms--the chronic stress of poverty and self-esteem during the transition to adulthood. Results reveal that self-esteem largely mediates the inverse relationship between parental education and levels of depressive symptoms in young adulthood. However, the inverse relationship between parental occupational prestige and depressive symptoms among young adults is not mediated by self-esteem, but rather long durations of poverty across 16 years. Overall, these findings suggest that different components of family socioeconomic status can leave a lasting imprint on mental health via the self-concept and the chronic stress of poverty throughout the journey to adulthood. Copyright 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bibliography Citation
Mossakowski, Krysia N. "Disadvantaged Family Background and Depression among Young Adults in the United States: The Roles of Chronic Stress and Self-Esteem." Stress and Health 31,1 (February 2015): 52-62.
3. Mossakowski, Krysia N.
Dissecting the Influence of Race, Ethnicity, and Socioeconomic Status on Mental Health in Young Adulthood
Research on Aging 30,6 (November 2008): 649-671.
Also: http://roa.sagepub.com/content/30/6/649.abstract
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: Sage Publications
Keyword(s): Depression (see also CESD); Ethnic Differences; Family Background and Culture; Health/Health Status/SF-12 Scale; Life Course; Poverty; Racial Differences; Socioeconomic Status (SES); Wealth

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Studies have provided contradictory findings about the influence of race and ethnicity on mental health. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (1979 to 1992), this study examines the extent to which multiple dimensions of past and present socioeconomic status explain the influence of race and ethnicity on depression in young adulthood. Results indicate that Blacks and Hispanics have significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms than Whites, which supports social stress theory These racial and ethnic differences are partially explained by family background and wealth, and substantially explained by the duration of poverty across 13 years of the transition to adulthood. Moreover, the robust depressive effect of past poverty duration is independent of present socioeconomic status and family background. Overall, this study was inspired by the life-course perspective and highlights the importance of wealth and histories of poverty for understanding racial and ethnic mental health disparities among young adults in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Bibliography Citation
Mossakowski, Krysia N. "Dissecting the Influence of Race, Ethnicity, and Socioeconomic Status on Mental Health in Young Adulthood." Research on Aging 30,6 (November 2008): 649-671.
4. Mossakowski, Krysia N.
Is the Duration of Poverty and Unemployment a Risk Factor for Heavy Drinking?
Social Science and Medicine 67,6 (September 2008): 947-955.
Also: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S027795360800258X
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: Elsevier
Keyword(s): Alcohol Use; Health, Mental/Psychological; Life Course; Poverty; Socioeconomic Status (SES); Stress; Unemployment

Research on the influence of socioeconomic status (SES) on heavy drinking of alcohol has provided contradictory findings. A limitation of the literature is that studies have primarily measured SES at one point in time. Inspired by the life course perspective and sociological research on chronic stress, this study uses data from the US National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (1979-1992 wave) to examine whether the duration of poverty and unemployment is a risk factor for heavy drinking. Results from logistic and ordinary least squares regression analyses demonstrate that longer durations of poverty and involuntary unemployment across a span of 13 years significantly predict being a heavy drinker and more frequent heavy drinking at ages 27-35 years. These effects are independent of gender, age, race/ethnicity, marital status, prior heavy drinking, and present SES. Overall, this study contributes to the literature that histories of poverty and involuntary unemployment have lasting effects on heavy drinking. More studies should use longitudinal data to explore the temporal dimension of SES.
Bibliography Citation
Mossakowski, Krysia N. "Is the Duration of Poverty and Unemployment a Risk Factor for Heavy Drinking?" Social Science and Medicine 67,6 (September 2008): 947-955.
5. Mossakowski, Krysia N.
Racial/Ethnic Inequality in Wealth during Young Adulthood and Midlife: A Social-psychological Perspective of the Middle Class
American Behavioral Scientist 56,5 (May 2012): 728-746.
Also: http://abs.sagepub.com/content/56/5/728.abstract
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: Sage Publications
Keyword(s): Ethnic Differences; Home Ownership; Locus of Control (see Rotter Scale); Psychological Effects; Racial Differences; Self-Esteem; Socioeconomic Status (SES); Wealth

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Our knowledge remains limited about why there are large racial/ethnic differences in wealth among the middle class in the United States. Owning a home and having positive net worth (i.e., more assets than debts) are important aspirations for the middle class because they signify wealth. This study uses a social-psychological perspective and data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth to explore whether the effects of psychological dispositions on these indicators of wealth differ for Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites. Results reveal that having a stronger sense of personal control over life and higher self-esteem significantly increase the odds of achieving positive net worth and homeownership, independent of demographics, educational attainment, current employment, income, and the socioeconomic status of the family of origin. Moreover, interaction effects indicate that the influence of internal locus of control on wealth is stronger for Whites than Blacks. Overall, this study’s findings suggest that the journey between social origins and destinations does not simply need socioeconomic resources, but also psychological resources that come from within the self-concept of the individual. The public policy and mental health implications for the Black middle class are discussed.
Bibliography Citation
Mossakowski, Krysia N. "Racial/Ethnic Inequality in Wealth during Young Adulthood and Midlife: A Social-psychological Perspective of the Middle Class." American Behavioral Scientist 56,5 (May 2012): 728-746.
6. Mossakowski, Krysia N.
Socioeconomic Gradient in Mental Health: Exploring the Transition to Adulthood
Ph.D. Dissertation, Indiana University, 2005. DAI-A 66/06, p. 2392, Dec 2005
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (PQDT)
Keyword(s): Alcohol Use; Depression (see also CESD); Health, Mental/Psychological; Intergenerational Patterns/Transmission; Life Course; Mobility; Socioeconomic Status (SES); Transition, Adulthood

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Informed by a life course perspective, my dissertation focuses on the life stage of young adulthood to evaluate the influence of socioeconomic status on depressive symptoms and heavy drinking. I use the National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth data to advance our understanding of the social origins of mental health disparities for young adults in the United States. I find that many dimensions of socioeconomic status have significant relationships with mental health in young adulthood, and I add to the literature that wealth has one of the most powerful effects. Furthermore, my longitudinal analyses demonstrate how the past can leave an imprint on mental health through family socioeconomic background and the dynamics of long-term socioeconomic disadvantage and intergenerational mobility. Finally, I investigate whether the timing of the transition to adulthood, life-course expectations, and the self-concept contribute to the mental health variation of young adults, and help to explain the enduring influence of family background. Overall, I conclude that a life course perspective of socioeconomic status is essential to understanding the human costs of inequality in society.
Bibliography Citation
Mossakowski, Krysia N. Socioeconomic Gradient in Mental Health: Exploring the Transition to Adulthood. Ph.D. Dissertation, Indiana University, 2005. DAI-A 66/06, p. 2392, Dec 2005.
7. Mossakowski, Krysia N.
The Influence of Past Unemployment Duration on Symptoms of Depression Among Young Women and Men in the United States
American Journal of Public Health 99,10 (October 2009): 1826-1832.
Also: http://ajph.aphapublications.org/cgi/content/short/99/10/1826
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: American Public Health Association
Keyword(s): CESD (Depression Scale); Depression (see also CESD); Family Background and Culture; Health, Mental/Psychological; Socioeconomic Background; Stress; Unemployment

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Objectives. I examined whether unemployment while looking for a job and being out of the labor force while not seeking work have distinct effects on symptoms of depression among young women and men in the United States. I also investigated whether past unemployment duration predicts depressive symptoms.

Methods. I used ordinary least squares regression to analyze data from the 1979–1994 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth.

Results. Cross-sectional results suggested that current unemployment status and out-of-the-labor-force status were significantly associated with depressive symptoms at ages 29 through 37 years. The association between being out of the labor force and depressive symptoms was stronger for men. Longitudinal results revealed that past unemployment duration across 15 years of the transition to adulthood significantly predicted depressive symptoms, net of demographics, family background, current socioeconomic status, and prior depressive symptoms. However, duration out of the labor force did not predict depressive symptoms.

Conclusions. Longer durations of unemployment predict higher levels of depressive symptoms among young adults. Future research should measure duration longitudinally and distinguish unemployment from being out of the labor force to advance our understanding of socioeconomic mental health disparities.

Bibliography Citation
Mossakowski, Krysia N. "The Influence of Past Unemployment Duration on Symptoms of Depression Among Young Women and Men in the United States." American Journal of Public Health 99,10 (October 2009): 1826-1832.
8. Mossakowski, Krysia N.
Unfulfilled Expectations and Symptoms of Depression among Young Adults
Social Science and Medicine 73,5 (September 2011): 729-736.
Also: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21798639
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: Elsevier
Keyword(s): Depression (see also CESD); Educational Attainment; Labor Force Participation; Parenthood

This study uses the life course perspective and data from 16 waves of the US National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (1979–1994) to examine whether unfulfilled expectations about educational attainment, employment, marriage, and parenthood are risk factors for subsequent symptoms of depression among young adults in the United States. Results from ordinary least squares regression analyses indicate that achieving a lower level of education than expected, becoming a parent unexpectedly, and being out of the labor force unexpectedly at ages 19–27 predict higher levels of depressive symptoms at ages 29–37, adjusting for demographics, family background, and earlier mental health. These effects do not significantly vary by gender, age, race/ethnicity, or family background, and are not explained by being selected out of the labor force for long durations because of mental or physical illness, attending school, keeping house, or other reasons. Overall, this study contributes to the literature on stress and mental health by acknowledging people’s expectations about the markers of adulthood, and advances our understanding of why the timing of transitions in people’s lives can have long-term mental health consequences.
Bibliography Citation
Mossakowski, Krysia N. "Unfulfilled Expectations and Symptoms of Depression among Young Adults." Social Science and Medicine 73,5 (September 2011): 729-736.
9. Mossakowski, Krysia N.
Why is There a Long-term Relationship between Disadvantaged Family Background and Symptoms of Depression?
Presented: Atlanta GA, American Sociological Association Annual Meeting, August 2010
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: American Sociological Association
Keyword(s): Depression (see also CESD); Parental Influences; Poverty; Self-Esteem; Socioeconomic Status (SES); Transition, Adulthood

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

An extensive literature has documented that disadvantaged parental socioeconomic status earlier in life has harmful mental health consequences. What warrants further inquiry is why. Using social stress theory and data from the U.S. National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, this study highlights mediating mechanisms from the transition to adulthood that help to explain why there is a long-term relationship between disadvantaged family background and symptoms of depression at ages 29 to 37. Results indicate that levels of self-esteem at ages 15 to 23 substantially explain the inverse relationship between parental education and subsequent levels of depressive symptoms. The depressive effect of low parental occupational prestige is largely explained by cumulative exposure to poverty status across 16 years. Overall, the implications of these findings are that policymakers and social welfare interventions should target self-esteem enhancement and the prevention of poverty spells during the journey to adulthood.
Bibliography Citation
Mossakowski, Krysia N. "Why is There a Long-term Relationship between Disadvantaged Family Background and Symptoms of Depression?" Presented: Atlanta GA, American Sociological Association Annual Meeting, August 2010.
10. Pavalko, Eliza K.
Mossakowski, Krysia N.
Hamilton, Vanessa J.
Does Perceived Discrimination Affect Health? Longitudinal Relationships between Work Discrimination and Women's Physical and Emotional Health
Journal of Health and Social Behavior 44,1 (March 2003): 18-33.
Also: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1519813
Cohort(s): Mature Women
Publisher: American Sociological Association
Keyword(s): Discrimination; Discrimination, Employer; Discrimination, Job; Discrimination, Sex; Health, Mental/Psychological; Health/Health Status/SF-12 Scale

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

This study uses longitudinal data to examine the causal relationships between perceived work discrimination and women's physical and emotional health. Using data on 1,778 employed women in the National Longitudinal Survey of Mature Women, we investigate the structural and individual characteristics that predict later perceptions of discrimination and the effects of those perceptions on subsequent health. We find that perceptions of discrimination are influenced by job attitudes, prior experiences of discrimination, and work contexts, but prior health is not related to later perceptions. However, perceptions of discrimination do impact subsequent health, and these effects remain significant after controlling for prior emotional health, physical health limitations, discrimination, and job characteristics. Overall, the results provide even stronger support for the health impact of workplace discrimination and suggest a need for further longitudinal analyses of causes and consequences of perceived discrimination.
Bibliography Citation
Pavalko, Eliza K., Krysia N. Mossakowski and Vanessa J. Hamilton. "Does Perceived Discrimination Affect Health? Longitudinal Relationships between Work Discrimination and Women's Physical and Emotional Health." Journal of Health and Social Behavior 44,1 (March 2003): 18-33.