Social equity perception and public mental health: a Chinese study with panel data

Abstract

Background: Mental health is a vital part of an individual’s overall health and well-being, and the relationship between society and individuals has always been a focus of academic and public attention. However, the effect of social equity perceptions on individual mental health remains unclear. Methods: Data were collected from 8,922 survey respondents with an average age of 47.533 years from the China Labor-force Dynamics Survey 2016 and 2018. The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale was used to assess mental health. A two-way fixed effects regression model was used to determine the association between social equity perception and individual mental health. Results: Individuals with higher perceptions of social equity were more likely to report better mental health (β = -0.944, p < 0.01). Happiness, life satisfaction, and social trust partially play mediating roles in the relationship between social equity perception and individual mental health, while education and age play moderating roles. Conclusion: Social equity perception is a vital factor that affects mental health. Public policies should focus on helping less educated and older people improve their social equity perception to improve their mental health.