Purpose: Based on the Reserve Capacity Model, this study investigated the effects of pre- and postmenopausal women’s socioeconomic
status (SES) on depression, focusing on the mediating effects of self-esteem, happiness, and family relationship satisfaction with social
network relationships. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved secondary analysis of national data on 771 perimenopause women
gathered from the 16th Korea Welfare Panel Study (KOWEPS) 2021. A path analysis model was constructed to evaluate the relationship between
SES, social network satisfaction, self-esteem, perceived health status, and depression. Data were analyzed using ADANCO 2.3.1 and
Mplus 8.4. Results: Although SES had no direct effect on depression, it did affect depression through self-esteem, happiness, and satisfaction
with family relationships. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that perimenopausal women’s personal resources—psychosocial
variables such as self-esteem and happiness—had a higher effect on depression than tangible reserves like SES. Therefore, interventions
for enhancing self-esteem and happiness may prevent depression in perimenopausal women effectively.