Studies, the National Association of Hispanic and Latino

Previous research has indicated that depression, the most common psychological disorder experienced by over 19 million Americans, can be related to such factors as ethnicity, social support, social economic status, academic achievement and gender. One hundred and sixty students from Johnson C. Smith University and Tennessee State University were administered Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Social Provision Scale (SPS). One hundred and ten of these students were black, 50 were white; 96 were female, 64 were male. A stepwise multiple regression and independent t-test techniques were used for data analysis. The results showed that social support, social economic class, and grade point average were inversely and significantly related to depression level. No significant differences were identified in the depression scores between black and white or male and female. (Contains 18 references and 3 tables.) (Author) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL ECONOMIC STATUS