Lee J, Allen J. Economic inequality and mental health in older adults: Exploring new dimensions of economic well-being. World J Psychiatry 2025; 15(7): 107489 [DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i7.107489]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Jaewon Lee, PhD, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, Inha University, Inha-ro 100, Incheon 22212, South Korea. j343@inha.ac.kr
Research Domain of This Article
Psychology, Social
Article-Type of This Article
Minireviews
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Psychiatry. Jul 19, 2025; 15(7): 107489 Published online Jul 19, 2025. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i7.107489
Economic inequality and mental health in older adults: Exploring new dimensions of economic well-being
Jaewon Lee, Jennifer Allen
Jaewon Lee, School of Social Work, Inha University, Incheon 22212, South Korea
Jennifer Allen, School of Social Work, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States
Author contributions: Lee J and Allen J contributed to editorial changes in the manuscript and approved the final manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Jaewon Lee, PhD, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, Inha University, Inha-ro 100, Incheon 22212, South Korea. j343@inha.ac.kr
Received: March 25, 2025 Revised: April 22, 2025 Accepted: May 26, 2025 Published online: July 19, 2025 Processing time: 107 Days and 18.5 Hours
Abstract
Economic inequality is a persistent global issue with profound implications for mental health, particularly among older adults. Previous studies have largely focused on objective economic well-being indicators such as income, employment status, and poverty. While these factors are crucial, emerging evidence suggests that welfare benefits and subjective economic well-being components of what can be deemed augmented economic well-being, may play equally significant roles in shaping psychological health among aging populations. This research explores how disparities in these aspects contribute to psychological distress in older adults. We highlight the role of financial security, government assistance programs, and personal economic satisfaction. We propose policy interventions to mitigate adverse effects and emphasize the need for a holistic approach to economic well-being to improve mental health outcomes in older adults. This study reveals that subjective financial security and access to welfare benefits often surpass income as predictors of mental health. These insights underscore the importance of broadening economic frameworks in aging research and developing integrated policies to enhance financial and psychological well-being.
Core Tip: By addressing both objective and subjective dimensions of economic well-being, policymakers can develop more effective strategies to support the mental health of older adults in an increasingly unequal world. The integration of financial planning education, equitable access to resources, and improved welfare structures can contribute to reducing the long-term psychological burden of economic insecurity on older individuals.
