Siromaštvo je složen višedimenzionalan društveni problem globalnih razmjera. U ovom radu ispitana je povezanost siromaštva, odnosno socioekonomskog statusa s nekim aspektima samopoštovanja, lokusa kontrole nad događajima u vlastitom životu, te samoprocjenom tjelesnog i mentalnog zdravlja. Istraživanje je provedeno na uzorku od 162 primatelja socijalne pomoći te 475 zaposlenih osoba podijeljenih u tri skupine prema visini primanja. Provedene analize kovarijance uz kontrolu utjecaja dobi i stupnja obrazovanja pokazale su da je niži materijalni status povezan s nižim
samopoštovanjem, vanjskim lokusom kontrole te nižom samoprocjenom vlastitog tjelesnog i mentalnog zdravlja. Parcijalne korelacije, uz kontrolu utjecaja dobi, stupnja obrazovanja i materijalnog statusa, pokazale su značajnu povezanost samoprocjene mentalnog zdravlja s dva aspekta samopoštovanja: samosviđanjem (r=0,403, p<0,001) i samokompetencijom (r=0,314, p<0,001). Samoprocjena vlastitog tjelesnog zdravlja također je značajno povezana sa samosviđanjem (r=0,331, p<0,001) i samokompetencijom (r=0,249, p<0,01). Rezultati ukazuju na siromaštvo i nizak socioekonomski status kao rizične faktore opće psihološke dobrobiti pojedinca.Poverty is a complex social problem worldwide. The present study investigated the association of poverty or low socioeconomic status with some aspects of self-respect, locus of control over one’s own life events and self-assessment of one’s own physical and mental health. The study included 162 welfare recipients and 475 employed persons divided into three groups according to income level. Analysis of covariance adjusted for the impact of age and level of education revealed the low financial status to be correlated with lower self-respect, external locus of control and lower self-assessment of one’s own physical and mental health. Partial correlations adjusted for the impact of age, level of education and financial status yielded significant correlation of mental health self-assessment with two aspects of self-respect: self-liking (r=0.403, p<0.001) and self-competence (r=0.314, p<0.001). Self-assessment of one’s own physical health also showed significant correlation with self-liking (r=0.331, p<0.001) and self-competence (r=0.249, p<0.01). Study results pointed to poverty and low socioeconomic status as the risk factors for general psychological welfare impairment in these individuals
