Abstract
Utilizing the 22-ltem Mental Health Scale developed by the staff of the Midtown Manhattan Project, the mental health status of a sample of 900 married women residing in a Western state is examined. The concern is with further investigation of prior research findings regarding associations between anomia, social class variables, and psychiatric impairment. The findings indicate that subjects' feelings of anomia maintain a significant relationship with psychiatric impairment within each socioeconomic category investigated. Data further reveal that the proportion of subjects reporting psychiatric symptomatology decreases with increasing status but that the relative risk of such symptoms for highly anomic respondents (compared to nonanomic subjects within each category) is much higher for the highest status groups than for the lower groups.
We’re sorry, something doesn't seem to be working properly.
Please try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, please contact support so we can address the problem.
References
Blumenthal, M. D. Mental health among the divorced: A field study of divorced and never divorced persons.Archives of General Psychiatry, 1967,16 603–608.
Chase, G. & Klauber, M. A graph of sample sizes for retrospective studies.American Journal of Public Health, 1965,55 1993–1996.
Clinard, M. B. The theoretical implications of anomie and deviant behavior. In M. B. Clinard (Ed.),Anomie and Deviant Behavior. New York: Free Press, 1964.
Dohrenwend, B. P., Social status and psychological disorder: An issue of substance and an issue of method.American Sociological Review, 1966,31, 14–34.
Durkheim, E.Le Suicide. Paris: Alcan, 1897. Translated by J. A. Spaulding and G. Simpson.Suicide: A study in sociology. Glencoe, Ill.: The Free Press, 1951.
Fabrega, H., Rabel, A. J., & Wallace, C. A. Working class Mexican psychiatric outpatients.Archives of General Psychiatry, 1967,16, 704–712.
Hollingshead, A. B.Two factor index of social position. New Haven: Privately mimeographed, 1957.
Irelan, L. M. (ed.) Low-income life styles. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, 1966.
Langner, T. S. A twenty-two item screening score of psychiatric symptoms indicating impairment.Journal of Health and Human Behavior, 1962,3, 269–276.
Langer, T. S. & Michael S. T.Life Stress and Mental Health: The Midtown Manhattan Study, Vol. 2. New York: The Free Press, 1963.
Langner, T. S. Psychophysiological symptoms and the status of women in two Mexican communities. In J. M. Murphy and A. H. Leighton (Eds.),Approaches to cross-cultural psychiatry. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, 1965.
MacIver, R. M.The Ramparts We Guard. New York: Macmillan, 1950.
Manis, J. G., Brawer, M. J., Hunt, C. L., & Kercher, L. Estimating the prevalence of mental illness.American Sociological Review, 1964,29, 84–89.
Mantel, N. Chi-square tests with one degree of freedom: Extensions of the Mantel-Haenszel procedure.Journal of the American Statistical Association, 1963,58, 690–700.
McClosky, H., & Schaar, J. H. Psychological dimensions of anomy.American Sociological Review, 1965,21, 709–716.
Meier, D. L., & Bell, W. Anomia and differential access to the achievement of life goals.American Sociological Review, 1959,24, 189–208.
Merton, R. K. Social structure and anomie. In R. K. Merton,Social Theory and Social Structure. Glencoe, Ill.: The Free Press, 1957a.
Merton, R. K. Continuities in the theory of social structure and anomie. In R. K. Merton,Social Theory and Social Structure. Glencoe, Ill.: The Free Press, 1957b.
Nettler, G. A. measure of alienation.American Sociological Review, 1957,22, 670–677.
Phillips, D. L. The “true” prevalence of mental illness in a New England state.Community Mental Health Journal, 1966a,2, 35–40.
Phillips, D. L. Deferred gratification in a college setting: Some costs and gains.Social Problems, 1966b,13, 333–343.
Phillips, D. L. Mental Health Status, social participation and happiness.Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 1967,8, 285–291.
Roman, P. M., & Trice, H. M.Schizophrenia and the Poor. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, 1967.
Rosenberg, M. The dissonant religious context and emotional disturbance.American Journal of Sociology, 1962,68, 1–10.
Segal, B. E., & Phillips, D. L. Work, play and emotional disturbance.Archives of General Psychiatry, 1967,16, 173–179.
Serfling, R. E., & Sherman, I. L.Attribute sampling methods for local health departments with special reference to immunization surveys. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, 1965.
Srole, L. Interdisciplinary conceptualization and research in social psychiatry. Unpublished paper read before the American Sociological Society, Detroit, 1956a.
Srole, L. Social integration and certain corollaries: An exploratory study.American Sociological Review, 1956b,21, 709–716.
Srole, L., Langner, T. S., Michael, S. T., Opler, M. K., & Rennie, T. A. C.Mental Health in the metropolis: The midtown Manhattan study, Vol. 1. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1962.
Warner, L., Meeker, M., & Eells, K.Social class in America. Chicago: Science Research Associates, 1949.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Reinhardt, A.M., Gray, R.M. Anomia, socioeconomic status, and mental disturbance. Community Ment Health J 8, 109–119 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01457164
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01457164