scholarly journals Discrimination, Church Support, Personal Mastery, and Psychological Distress Among Black People in the United States

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 399-399
Author(s):  
James Muruthi ◽  
Bertranna Muruthi ◽  
Reid Thompson Cañas ◽  
Lindsey Romero ◽  
Abiola Taiwo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
The United States ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Personal Mastery ◽  
Church Support ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Everyday Discrimination

Abstract Objective This study used the stress process model to test the mediating effects of personal mastery and moderating effects of church-based social support on the relationship between everyday discrimination and psychological distress across three age groups of African American and Afro-Caribbean adults. Methods Using a national sample of 5008 African Americans and Afro-Caribbean adults from the National Survey of American Life Study, this study employs structural equation modeling to investigate the relationships between everyday discrimination, personal mastery, church-based social support, and psychological disorders. Results Everyday discrimination was an independent predictor of psychiatric disorders across all groups. Group- and age-specific comparisons revealed significant differences in the experience of everyday discrimination and psychiatric disorders. Mastery was a partial mediator of the relationship between discimination and psychiatric disorder among Afro-Caribbeans while church support was a significant moderator only among the young and older African Americans. Implications: Together, our study findings provide useful first steps towards developing interventions to reduce the adverse psychological impacts of everyday discrimination on African Americans and Afro-Caribbeans. Intervention efforts such as individual psychotherapy aimed to improve Afro-Caribbean individuals’ sense of mastery would be a partial solution to alleviating the adverse effects of discrimination on their psychological health.

scholarly journals THOSE LEFT BEHIND

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-33
Author(s):  
Alexis C. Dennis
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Educational Attainment ◽  
Traumatic Events ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Science Literature ◽  
The Social ◽  
Working Age ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract While the socioeconomic status (SES)–psychological distress gradient is well-documented in the social science literature, less attention has been devoted to how this relationship varies within sociodemographic subgroups. I contribute to this small but growing literature by first examining the relationship between multiple dimensions of SES and two measures of psychological distress (depression and anxiety) among working-age African Americans. I then test whether three social mediators explain the SES–psychological distress relationship, and whether gender modifies these associations and/or the social mediators that shape them. To address these aims, I analyze two waves of population-representative data from the Detroit Neighborhood Health Study (N=685). Data were collected between 2008 and 2010 in the wake of the Great Recession. I utilize structural equation modeling with latent variables to assess these relationships, and test indirect and conditional effects to detect the presence of mediation and/or moderation, respectively. Findings revealed associations between higher total household income and lower levels of depression/anxiety, as well as unemployment and increased depression/anxiety among working-age African Americans. Furthermore, higher educational attainment was associated with reduced anxiety, but not depression, in this population. Gender moderated these findings such that unemployment was associated with higher levels of depression/anxiety among women but not men. I also found that trauma mediated the relationship between unemployment and depression/anxiety as well as educational attainment and anxiety. Gender, however, moderated the association between unemployment and depression/anxiety via traumatic events such that the relationship was stronger among women than men. Collectively, these findings contribute to our limited understanding of African Americans’ mental health and underscore the importance of how both socioeconomic forces and life course experiences with traumatic events contribute to poor mental health among this population.

scholarly journals Social Support, Coping Behaviors, and Resilience Among African Americans During COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 198-198
Author(s):  
Sung Park
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Coping Behaviors ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
And Coping ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Multiple Health

Abstract Enduring structural inequalities in the United States by race have only become more apparent during COVID-19, as African Americans experienced significant health and economic challenges that far exceeded those observed among other racial and ethnic groups. Relying on multiple nationally representative surveys, this study examines the diversity of ways in which middle-aged and older African Americans’ managed the stress and pressures associated with the pandemic. I summarize the inequities faced by African Americans before and during COVID-19, as well as trends in the utilization of social support, coping behaviors, and degree of resilience. Furthermore, this study investigates the relationship between social support and coping strategies to multiple health outcomes over time. When appropriate, comparisons to other racial and ethnic groups are made. This research underscores the importance of considering social relationships and modifiable coping behaviors when studying African American aging and well-being during times of crisis.

scholarly journals Work-Family Balance and Psychosocial Adjustment of Married International Students

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 1079-1107
Author(s):  
Gökçe Bulgan ◽  
Ayşe Çiftçi
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Gender Roles ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Psychosocial Adjustment ◽  
The United States ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Family Balance ◽  
Work Family Balance ◽  
Work Family ◽  
The Relationship

The authors investigated how work-family balance mediated the relationship between personality traits, gender roles, social support, and psychosocial adjustment. Data were collected from 243 married international graduate students (MIGSs) studying in the United States. Results of structural equation modeling indicated that personality traits influence the psychosocial adjustment process. In addition, being extraverted, agreeable, and conscientious contributed to balancing academic and family life, whereas having neurotic tendencies such as experiencing depression and anxiety diminished work-family balance. Work-family balance did not mediate the relationship between personality traits, gender roles, social support, and psychosocial adjustment. The authors discussed the findings by considering clinical implications and making suggestions for future research.

Roles of Psychological Distress and Social Support in the Relationship Between Childhood Maltreatment and Perceived Needs for Mental Health Care

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110063
Author(s):  
Tingting Gao ◽  
Songli Mei ◽  
Muzi Li ◽  
Carl D’ Arcy ◽  
Xiangfei Meng
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Childhood Maltreatment ◽  
Perceived Needs ◽  
Perceived Need ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Relationship

Childhood maltreatment is a major public health issue worldwide. It increases a range of health-risk behaviors, psychological and physical problems, which are associated with an increased need for mental health services in adulthood. Identification of mediating factors in the relationship between maltreatment and seeking mental health care may help attenuate the negative consequences of childhood maltreatment and promote more appropriate treatment. This study aims to examine whether the relationship between childhood maltreatment and perceived need for mental health care is mediated by psychological distress and/or moderated by social support. Data from the Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health 2012 are analyzed. A total of 8,993 participants, who had complete information on childhood maltreatment and diagnoses of mental disorders or psychological distress, are included in this study. Structural equation modeling and the PROCESS macro were used to identify relationships among childhood maltreatment, perceived needs for mental health care, and psychological distress. Hierarchical linear regression was then used to verify the moderated mediation model. We found that psychological distress partially mediated the effect of childhood maltreatment on perceived needs for mental health care in adulthood. Social support played an important role in terms of moderating the relationship between maltreatment and perceived needs for care. For those with a history of childhood maltreatment, those who perceived a low level of social support were more likely to have higher levels of psychological distress and perceived need for mental health care. This is the first study to identify the separate and combined roles of psychological distress and social support in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and perceived need for mental health care. Selective prevention strategies should focus on social support to improve mental health services among people with a history of childhood maltreatment.

scholarly journals Perceived discrimination and psychological distress among immigrants to Canada: The mediating role of bicultural identity orientations

2021 ◽  
pp. 136843022199008
Author(s):  
Mustafa Firat ◽  
Kimberly A. Noels
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Perceived Discrimination ◽  
The Other ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Bicultural Identity ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
The Relationship

Bicultural identity orientations have rarely been examined in relation to both perceived discrimination and psychological distress. Furthermore, these constructs have usually been studied in isolation, but their intersection is essential for understanding intercultural relations in multicultural societies. Using cross-sectional data from 1,143 Canadian undergraduate students from immigrant families, this study explored the relationship between perceived discrimination and psychological distress, and how bicultural identity orientations might mediate this relationship. The structural equation modeling results indicated that perceived discrimination was associated with higher levels of psychological distress and hybrid, monocultural, alternating, and conflicted orientations, but lower levels of complementary orientation. Alternating and conflicted orientations were related to higher psychological distress, whereas the other orientations were not. Alternating and conflicted orientations mediated the relationship between perceived discrimination and psychological distress, whereas the other orientations did not. The findings are discussed in light of theories on identity integration, rejection–identification, and acculturation.

304 The relationship between basic personality, subjective sleep duration, and psychological distress during a military deployment

SLEEP ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. A121-A121
Author(s):  
Walter Sowden ◽  
Alexxa Bessey ◽  
Julie Merrill ◽  
Ashlee Mckeon ◽  
Jake Choynowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Sleep Duration ◽  
Big Five ◽  
Military Personnel ◽  
The United States ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Medicine Research ◽  
Subjective Sleep ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Introduction Extended, overseas operations (deployments) increase the likelihood that military personnel will experience psychological distress. Reduced sleep during deployments is a key correlate of psychological distress. Thus, it is imperative to identify mechanisms that adaptively modulate the relationship between insufficient sleep and psychological distress. Research has recently connected basic personality traits (i.e., the Big Five: extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness) to more sleep. The current project aimed to examine the relationship between basic personality traits, subjective sleep duration (SSD), and psychological distress during an operational deployment. Methods 488 soldiers took surveys both prior to and half-way through a nine-month deployment. The pre-deployment survey included the Big Five Index, and three standardized measures of psychological distress commonly used to screen military personnel for anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder; GAD-7), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire; PHQ-8), and post-traumatic stress (Posttraumatic Symptom Disorder Checklist; PCL-4). The mid-deployment survey included an item from the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index measuring SSD and the same psychological distress measures from the pre-deployment survey. General linear models were used to test the interaction between SSD and each basic personality trait on each measure of psychological distress at mid-deployment while accounting for psychological distress at pre-deployment. Results Of the Big Five, conscientiousness was the only trait to significantly moderate the relationship between SSD and anxiety, t = 2.11, p = .035, where higher conscientiousness weakened the relationship. Further only agreeableness attenuated the relationship between depression and SSD, t = 2.10, p = .036. Interestingly, the only Big Five trait that moderated the relationship between SSD and PTS was openness, insomuch that openness strengthened the relationship, t = -1.92, p = .055. Conclusion The relationship between SSD and psychological distress was uniquely impacted by different personality traits. These results reinforce the age-old concept that behavior is the product of a complex, nuanced, and puzzling interaction between the individual and the environment. The current research motivates further research into personality as an adaptive mechanism for optimizing military wellbeing. Support (if any) Support for this study came from the Military Operational Medicine Research Program (MOMRP) of the United States Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC).

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