Work

From housing prices to depressive symptoms: Serial mediating roles of subjective social status and status anxiety

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Housing is increasingly recognized not only as a pivotal socioeconomic asset but also as a positional good that signals social status. While previous research mainly focused on the economic benefits of absolute housing wealth, few studies examined the psychosocial influence of relative housing price position on mental health. To address this research gap, this study investigates the association between neighborhood housing price rank and depressive symptoms through the serial mediating roles of subjective social status (SSS) and status anxiety. Housing transaction records were combined with survey data from 539 homeowners in seven metropolitan cities in South Korea to conduct serial mediation analysis. The results demonstrate that higher housing price ranks are significantly associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms, mediated by higher SSS and lower status anxiety levels. Notably, this association is insignificant for absolute housing prices. These findings underscore the positional nature of housing; specifically, positionality within the city-wide housing market hierarchy is significantly associated with mental well-being. Consequently, these findings suggest that policies may need to incorporate public health strategies to address status-related anxiety and psychological distress associated with relative position within local housing market hierarchies.

Source: Cities

DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2026.107623

Authors: Minji Ryu, Jooyoung Kim, Minah Kim, Seungbeom Kang

Institution: Yonsei University

Language: English

Topic: Health disparities and outcomes

Subfield: Health

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Reduced inequalities, Good health and well-being, Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,000