The Impact of Income Inequality of Psychosocial Well-Being

In this thesis, I investigated the impact of income inequality on psychosocial well-being. I argued that income inequality is an important problem for psychology, because it is a powerful social determinant of wide range of psychosocial problems that impact well-being negatively. Income inequality is related to problems such as mental illness, obesity, teenage pregnancy, violence, and premature mortality. I analyzed the two major theoretical frameworks for explaining the relation between income inequality and psychosocial well-being: the psychosocial environment explanation and the neo-material explanation. I argued that both of these explanatory frameworks are important for psychology. Furthermore, I discussed the methodological criticisms of the relation between income inequality and psychosocial well-being. Finally, I explored the possibilities for interventions on behalf of psychologists regarding the issue of income inequality. I emphasized the importance of conceptualizing income inequality as a structural problem and argued that improving psychosocial well-being of populations requires a systemic intervention that is focused on reducing the income gaps.