Drift Hypothesis is the belief that mental disorders cause one to drift further down the social class ladder as the disorder takes hold. It is the opposing theory of the social causation thesis, which says being in a lower social class is a contributor to the development of a mental illness. Drift hypothesis is the social causation thesis, which says social class position is causally related to the probability of mental illness. It is the argument that illness causes one to have a downward shift in social class.
Drift Hypothesis
