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Head to your library, @JAdolesHealth 68:3, with our article, is here!Or click for #openaccess https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.06.031
Country-level meritocratic beliefs moderate the social gradient in adolescent mental health: A multilevel study in 30 European countries
A long overdue
1/n
First, big thanks to @UtrechtUni supervisors Catrin and Gonneke, my co-authors @Gmain1 @candacecurrie Katrijn, Maxim and Michela, reviewers, listeners at various symposia etc.
And most importantly of all, the @HBSCStudy survey participants across Europe. 2/n
And most importantly of all, the @HBSCStudy survey participants across Europe. 2/n
The best intro to give to the concept of meritocracy, & its relevance to mental health, is just watch the beautiful @theRSAorg Minimate of Michael Sandel's book
Meritocracy "congratulates the winners but denigrates the losers, even in their own eyes") 3/n
Meritocracy "congratulates the winners but denigrates the losers, even in their own eyes") 3/n
There is some 
work on (country-level) meritocracy and inequality (eg from @JonathanMijs @gbwillis @celine_darnon)
But also a bit of a
regarding health outcomes, especially in adolescents (with the exception of some excellent work by Simons, Bosma & co. @CAPHRI_UM) 4/n
work on (country-level) meritocracy and inequality (eg from @JonathanMijs @gbwillis @celine_darnon)But also a bit of a
regarding health outcomes, especially in adolescents (with the exception of some excellent work by Simons, Bosma & co. @CAPHRI_UM) 4/n
Our idea: countries differ in extent of 'meritocratic beliefs' (eg, 19% of 
adults v. 61% of 
adults agree that people in their country get what they deserve).
This may help explain cross-country differences in SES (socioeconomic status)
to adolescent mental health. 5/n
adults v. 61% of adults agree that people in their country get what they deserve).This may help explain cross-country differences in SES (socioeconomic status)
to adolescent mental health. 5/n
Why? Well meritocratic beliefs are internalised, so where high levels of meritocratic beliefs prevail, low SES adolescents may feel incapable, inferior, and be victims of classism (ie disrespected/devalued because they are low SES), strengthening the SES-mental health . 6/n
. 6/n
We used representative adolescent samples from 30 @HBSCStudy countries (n>130,000), ran multilevel models with 2 SES indicators (objective, subj.) & 3 mental health indicators, controlling for national income, inc inequality, welfare expenditure. (Models were... frustrating!) 7/n
And results were... 
(at first anyway).
But once we got to grips with them, some clear findings emerged.
Objective SES (family affluence) was to adolescent mental health in some countries, while subjective SES (perceived affluence) to adolescent mental health in all. 8/n
(at first anyway).But once we got to grips with them, some clear findings emerged.
Objective SES (family affluence) was
to adolescent mental health in some countries, while subjective SES (perceived affluence) to adolescent mental health in all. 8/n
from both SES indicators to mental health varied across countries, and meritocratic beliefs did partly explain these differences in cross-country .But in opposite ways!
For objective SES, results were as expected, stronger SES-MH
in more meritocratic countries. 9/n
Whereas for subjective SES, the SES-MHis weaker in more meritocratic countries (though useful to bear in mind that subjective SES-MH was still stronger than objective SES-MH).
Could the Muhammad Ali
effect help explain this?
is weaker in more meritocratic countries (though useful to bear in mind that subjective SES-MH was still stronger than objective SES-MH).Could the Muhammad Ali
effect help explain this?
Why the Ali effect? A subjective belief (eg "I think I'm fairly rich") may be less influential when it stops credibly aligning with objective reality. In more meritocratic countries, consumption of positional goods may be higher, making objective SES more observable/salient 11/n
In sum, there is a complex interplay among meritocratic beliefs, SES, adolescent mental health. Adolescence is 
period for gaining own SES, and developing beliefs about what SES can be attributed to, so we hope this is just the start of further research in this area. 12/n
period for gaining own SES, and developing beliefs about what SES can be attributed to, so we hope this is just the start of further research in this area. 12/n
