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Table 2 Summary of meaning units, subthemes and themes according to Bronfenbrenner ecological levels

From: What social determinants outside paid work are related to development of mental health during life? An integrative review of results from the Northern Swedish Cohort

Macro-level

Class structures

Gender order

 

Meaning unit

Subtheme

Theme

Exo-level

Cumulative neighborhood disadvantage between the age of 16–43 was associated with Functional Somatic Symptoms (FSS) (in women) [34] and allostatic load (in men) at the age of 43 [35].

Cumulative neighborhood disadvantage over the life was related to later mental ill-health.

Relation between neighborhood disadvantage and mental ill-health during life

Neighborhood of living across the life course explained variation in FSS in mid-adulthood with little independent contextual contribution by neighborhood environment in adolescence [36].

Exposure to positive attitudes towards heavy alcohol consumption at school class-level was associated with Heavy Episodic Drinking (HED) at the age of 43 [37].

Early exposure to positive attitudes towards drunkenness at class-level (as the representative of neighborhood) was related to later alcohol misuse.

Meso-level

Parental involvement in their offspring’s studies at the age of 16 was associated with more favorable trajectory of Internalized mental health symptoms (IMHS) from the age of 16–43 [38].

Good parental interaction with school in early life was related to mental health over life.

Relation between parental interaction with other settings and mental health during life

Parental involvement in their offspring’s studies at the age of 16 was associated with lower alosthetic load at the age 43 [39].

Good parental interaction with school in early life was related to later mental health.

Parental involvement in ceasing an abusive relationship in adolescent was associated with more favorable mental health in early adulthood (age 33) [40].

Parental interaction with destructive relationship in early life was related to mental health in early adulthood.

Micro- level

Poor relationship with parents at the age of 16 was associated with IMHS at the age of 30 and FSS at the age of 30 and 43 [41].

Poor relationship with parents /family in early life was related to later mental ill-health and alcohol misuse.

Relation between poor social relationships and mental ill-health during life

Poor relationship with family at the age of 16 was associated with an increased likelihood of HED in men (age 21/30) [42].

Poor relationship with peers at age 16 years was associated with depressive symptoms [43], IMHS and FSS at age 43 years [41].

Poor relationship with peers in early life was related to later mental ill-health and alcohol misuse.

Poorer relation with classmates at the age of 16 were associated with an increased likelihood of HED among women at the age of 30 [42].

Good school connectiveness at the age of 16, was associated with lower level of depressive and anxiety symptoms at the age of 43. Professional and social establishment in early adulthood appear to partially mediate the association [44].

Good school connectiveness in early life was related to later mental health.

Structural and functional support at the age of 30 and 43 were associated with depressive symptoms at ages 30 and 43 both in men and women [45].

Poor social support in early adulthood was related to current and later mental ill-health.

Poor social support at the age of 30 was associated with IMHS at the age of 43 both in men and women [46].

Lower level of social capital at the age of 16 was associated with FSS at the age of 43 among men [47].

Social capital in early life was related to later mental health.

Higher levels of youth civic engagement (as a determinant of social capital) predicted a decrease in depressive symptoms among men in early adulthood (age 21) [48].

Lower levels of social capital accumulated over the life course were associated with FSS at age 43, for both women and men [47].

Cumulative poor social capital over the life was related to later mental ill-health.

Inequalities in Functional Somatic Symptoms (FSS) increased between the socio-economic groups from the age of 16 to 43. The gap was explained by social and material adversities during life [49].

Adversities explained the increasing socio-economic gradient in mental health during life.

Relation between adversities, and the socio-economic gradient of mental ill-health during life

Socio-economic gradient in somatic health from the age of 16 to 30 was explained by poor social relationship (poor relationship with father and having

unemployed friends among men, experiencing violence among women), economic hardship (financial strain among women) and poor health behaviors (high alcohol consumption among men and smoking among women) [50].

Adverse socio-economic status of the family at the age of 16 was associated with unfavorable material and social living conditions at the age of 21 and 30 which in turn was related to FSS at the age of 43 in men [51]

Experience of social adversities at the age of 16 was associated with entering an unfavorable trajectory of internalized mental health symptoms (IMHS) from the age of 16 to 43 both in men and women [52].

Early adversities were related to poor development of mental health during life.

Experience of social adversities at the age of 16 was associated with lower self- related health at the age of 43 in both men and women [53].

Early adversities were related to later mental ill-health.

Cumulative social and material adversities from the age of 16 to 43 was associated with experience of FSS in midlife (age 43) in both men and women independent of experience of FSS at the baseline [34].

Cumulative adversities over the life were related to later mental ill-health.

Perceived gender inequality in couple’s relationship and domestic sphere was associated with increased psychological distress in both couples [54], depressive symptoms among women and sub-optimal self-related health among men at the age of 43 [55, 56].

Gender equality in adult life was related to mental health.

Relation between gender relations and mental health in adult life

Non-traditional gender ideology (supporting or practicing gender equality) at age 30 was associated with decreased risk of anxious symptoms in women. For men, non-traditional childcare at age 43 was associated with decreased risk of depressive symptoms [57]

Women’s responsibility for performance of housework increased from ages 30 to 43 but not men. These changes were associated with elevated levels of FSS at age 43 in women [58].

Inequality in housework, in combination with experiencing the couple’s relationship as gender-unequal, were associated with increased psychological distress in both men and women at the age of 43 [59].

Gendered division of housework was associated with increased experience of stress among men and women at the age of 47 [30].