scholarly journals Educational Attainment Better Protects African American Women than African American Men Against Depressive Symptoms and Psychological Distress

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shervin Assari
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
African American ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
High Education ◽  
African Americans ◽  
African American Men ◽  
Education Attainment ◽  
African American Adults

Background: Recent research has shown smaller health effects of socioeconomic status (SES) indicators such as education attainment for African Americans as compared to whites. However, less is known about diminished returns based on gender within African Americans. Aim: To test whether among African American men are at a relative disadvantage compared to women in terms of having improved mental health as a result of their education attainment. This study thus explored gender differences in the association between education attainment and mental health, using a representative sample of American adults. Methods: The National Survey of American Life (NSAL; 2003) recruited 3570 African American adults (2299 females and 1271 males). The dependent variables were depressive symptoms and psychological distress. The independent variable was education attainment. Race was the focal moderator. Age, employment status, and marital status were covariates. Linear regressions were used for data analysis. Results: In the pooled sample that included both male and female African American adults, high education attainment was associated with lower depressive symptoms and psychological distress, net of covariates. Significant interactions were found between gender and education attainment with effects on depressive symptoms and psychological distress, suggesting stronger protective effects of high education attainment against depressive symptoms and psychological distress for female as compared to male African Americans. Conclusion: A smaller gain in mental health with respect to educational attainment for male African American males as compared to African American females is in line with studies showing high risk of depression in African American men of high-socioeconomic status. High-SES African American men need screening for depression and psychological distress.

scholarly journals Polypharmacy and Psychological Distress May Be Associated in African American Adults

Pharmacy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shervin Assari ◽  
Mohsen Bazargan
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
African American ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Health Status ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Health Care Access ◽  
Comprehensive Evaluation ◽  
National Sample ◽  
Multiple Chronic Conditions ◽  
African American Adults

Background: Compared to Whites, African Americans are at a higher risk of multiple chronic conditions, which places them at a higher risk of polypharmacy. Few national studies, however, have tested whether polypharmacy is associated with psychological distress—the net of socioeconomic status, health status, and stress—in African Americans. Aims: In a national sample of African Americans in the US, this study investigated the association between polypharmacy and psychological distress. Methods: The National Survey of American Life (NSAL, 2003) included 3570 African American adults who were 18 years or over. This number was composed of 2299 women and 1271 men. Polypharmacy (using ≥ 5 medications) and hyper-polypharmacy (using ≥ 10 medications) were the independent variables. Psychological distress was the dependent variable. Age, gender, socioeconomic status (education attainment, income, employment, and marital status), health care access (insurance status and usual place of care), and health status (multimorbidity and psychiatric disorders) were the covariates. Linear multivariable regression was applied to perform the data analysis. Results: Both polypharmacy and hyper-polypharmacy were associated with psychological distress. This association was significant after controlling for all the covariates. Conclusions: African Americans with polypharmacy, particularly those with hyper-polypharmacy, are experiencing higher levels of psychological distress, which itself is a known risk factor for poor adherence to medications. There is a need for a comprehensive evaluation of medications as well as screening for psychopathology in African Americans with multiple medical conditions.

African American men who become mental health advocates

2021 ◽  
pp. 002076402110127
Author(s):  
Sandra Yaklin ◽  
Miyong Kim ◽  
Jacklyn Hecht
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
African American ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Intervention Program ◽  
African American Men ◽  
Working Relationships ◽  
Major Theme ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Tailored Messages ◽  
Promote Mental Health

Using a narrative approach, this study explored how African American men became mental health advocates. This ancillary study is part of a formative within an ongoing community based intervention program that was designed to promote mental health of African Americans (AMEN) project within an ongoing community based intervention program that was designed to promote mental health of African Americans (AMEN) project. Narrative research techniques were used to analyze and synthesize the data. Analysis generated one major theme (interdependence) with four supporting sub-themes (credibility, social depression, stigma, and calling). These findings and insights through this qualitative study guided the AMEN project team to formulate effective communication strategies in establishing working relationships with community partners and wider stakeholders as well as crafting culturally tailored messages for African American participants.

Skin tone, life satisfaction, and psychological distress among African Americans: The mediating effect of stigma consciousness

2020 ◽  
pp. 135910532095425
Author(s):  
Asia T McCleary-Gaddy ◽  
Drexler James
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
African American ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Indirect Effects ◽  
Skin Tone ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Stigma Consciousness ◽  
African American Adults ◽  
Lower Life Satisfaction

This study examined the indirect effect of skin tone on psychological distress via (1) stigma consciousness and (2) life satisfaction among African American adults (N = 780; %Female = 57.65%; Mage = 37.68). Results show indirect effects of (1) skin tone on life satisfaction and (2) skin tone on psychological distress, each via stigma consciousness. Specifically, those with darker (vs. lighter) skin tones reported increased stigma consciousness, which then predicted (1) lower life satisfaction and (2) lower levels of psychological distress. Life satisfaction did not predict psychological distress. Implications for African American mental health are discussed.

scholarly journals Workplace Racial Composition Explains High Perceived Discrimination of High Socioeconomic Status African American Men

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shervin Assari ◽  
Maryam Moghani Lankarani
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
African American ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Predominantly White ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Perceived Discrimination ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Racial Composition ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
African American Adults

Background: Sociological and epidemiological literature have both shown that socioeconomic status (SES) protects populations and individuals against health problems. Recent research, however, has shown that African Americans gain less from their SES and African Americans of high SES, particularly males, may be vulnerable to perceived discrimination, as explained by the Minorities’ Diminished Returns theory. One potential mechanism for this phenomenon is that high SES African Americans have a higher tendency to work in predominantly White workplaces, which increases their perceived discrimination. It is, however, unknown if the links between SES, working in predominantly White work groups and perceived discrimination differ for male and female African Americans. Aim: To test the associations between SES, workplace racial composition and perceived discrimination in a nationally representative sample of male and female African American adults. Methods. This study included a total number of 1775 employed African American adults who were either male (n = 676) or female (n = 1099), all enrolled from the National Survey of American Life (NSAL). The study measured gender, age, SES (educational attainment and household income), workplace racial composition and perceived discrimination. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was applied in the overall sample and also by gender. Results: In the pooled sample that included both genders, high education and household income were associated with working in a predominantly White work group, which was in turn associated with more perceived discrimination. We did not find gender differences in the associations between SES, workplace racial composition and perceived discrimination. Conclusion: Although racial composition of workplace may be a mechanism by which high SES increases discriminatory experiences for African Americans, males and females may not differ in this regard. Policies are needed to reduce discrimination in racially diverse workplaces. This is particularly the case for African Americans who work in predominantly White work environments.

scholarly journals Socioeconomic Status, Ecologically Assessed Social Activities, and Daily Cortisol Among Older Urban African Americans

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 830-840
Author(s):  
Samuele Zilioli ◽  
Heather Fritz ◽  
Wassim Tarraf ◽  
Susan A. Lawrence ◽  
Malcolm P. Cutchin
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
African American ◽  
Health Disparities ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Relative Frequency ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Endocrine Function ◽  
Social Activities ◽  
African American Adults

Objectives: Higher socioeconomic status (SES) individuals report more social activities than their lower SES counterparts. Yet, SES and racial health disparities are often confounded. Here, we tested whether the frequency of engagement in social activities contributed to the association between SES and daily cortisol secretion among urban African American older adults. Methods: Ninety-two community-dwelling African Americans aged 55 years and older reported what they were doing at regular intervals across the day on an Android smartphone for seven consecutive days. They also provided four saliva samples at four time points a day during the same period. Results: Higher SES older adults engaged in proportionally more social activities than their lower SES counterparts. A greater relative frequency of weekly social activities was associated with a steeper diurnal cortisol decline. Higher SES was indirectly linked to a steeper cortisol decline via increased relative frequency of weekly social activities. Discussion: Our findings suggest that engagement in weekly social activities represents a behavioral intermediary for SES health disparities in endocrine function among older urban African American adults.

Marital Status and Depressive Symptoms in African Americans: The Moderating Role of Social and Religious Resources

2020 ◽  
pp. 0192513X2094281
Author(s):  
Beverly Rosa Williams ◽  
Randi M. Williams ◽  
Eddie M. Clark ◽  
Crystal L. Park ◽  
Emily Schulz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
African American ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Marital Status ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
African American Adults ◽  
Religious Social Support ◽  
Religious Resources

We examined the gendered role of social and religious resources in the association between marital status and depressive symptoms among a national probability sample of predominantly midlife and older African American adults ( N = 800). Greater levels of depressive symptoms were found for unmarried compared to married. A significant three-way interaction between marital status, gender, and resource variable was found only for religious social support. When religious social support was high, married men reported fewer depressive symptoms compared to nonmarried men ( p = .02). In contrast, when religious social support was high, nonmarried women reported fewer depressive symptoms than married women, but these differences only approached statistical significance ( p = .06). The role of religious resources on marital status and depression differed by sex in our sample of African American adults. Understanding these influences may help to address mental health needs of married and unmarried African Americans and suggest a potentially influential role for religious resources.

scholarly journals Discrimination Fully Mediates the Effects of Incarceration History on Depressive Symptoms and Psychological Distress Among African American Men

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 243-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shervin Assari ◽  
Reuben Jonathan Miller ◽  
Robert Joseph Taylor ◽  
Dawne Mouzon ◽  
Verna Keith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
African American Men ◽  
Incarceration History

Psychological health and discrimination experience among graduate students: findings from the Stress Coping Obstruction Prevention & Education (SCOPE) Study

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 122-136
Author(s):  
Larrell L. Wilkinson ◽  
Jelani Kerr ◽  
Temple Smith ◽  
Muhammad Salaam ◽  
Minnjuan W. Flournoy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
African American ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Graduate Students ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Poverty Concentration ◽  
The Usa

Purpose – African-Americans historically report greater exposure to discrimination and also experience unfavorable outcomes associated with physical health, poverty concentration, residential segregation, and poorer education. The effects of discrimination are particularly harmful on mental health as discriminatory experiences contribute significantly to diminished mental health status and psychological distress. African-Americans pursuing graduate education may experience additional stressors, increasing the risk for poorer mental health. The purpose of this paper is to examine the association of psychological health and discrimination experiences among black and white graduate students at a southeastern university. Design/methodology/approach – Participants were 505 graduate students at a predominantly white southeastern institution. Researchers collected data via self-administered online and paper questionnaires during the spring 2010 semester. Graduate students were asked questions pertaining to individual demographics, discrimination, and psychosocial concerns. Findings – Approximately 15 percent of the graduate students reported psychological distress. Additionally, black graduate students reported significantly higher levels of day-to-day and lifetime discrimination when compared to white graduate students. In addition to the proportions of psychological distress differing by race, African-American graduate students reported better psychological well-being when exposed to both day-to-day and lifetime discrimination than whites with similar exposure. Practical implications – Resilience factors and coping strategies should be examined further among African-American graduate students for greater understanding. Moreover, it is important to develop applications to improve mental health outcomes for all graduate students. Originality/value – This is one of the few studies to focus on the mental health and discrimination experiences among a graduate student population. The sample is drawn from the southeastern USA where there are long vestiges of discrimination and a sizable sampling of African-Americans who live in the USA.

African American Women and Depression: Promoting the Need for Culturally Competent Treatment

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernice Kennedy ◽  
Chalice Jenkins ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
African American ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
African American Women ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
American Woman ◽  
Stressful Events ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Diagnostic Process ◽  
American Women

Abstract Depression is gradually increasing in African American women. These women are experiencing role changes and additional life stressors. Depressed African American women may perceive themselves as being devalued by society with fewer support systems to buffer stressful events. Depressive symptoms may develop into clinical depression and a further decrease in the quality of life for the African American woman. The assumption that all women share similar experiences does not allow for differences to emerge regarding the diagnostic process, measuring tools, and successful treatment strategies for various cultures. The authors developed a Multifaceted Model of Depression in African American Women for improving treatment of African American women with depression and future research needs. Cultural background plays a vital role in how the symptoms of mental illnesses are developed, reported, interpreted, and how women are treated. African Americans who subscribed to the Strong Black Women Archetype (SBWA) are naturally strong, resilient, self-contained, and self-sacrificing. This self-reliance prevents them from reaching out for social support. This, in turn, can contribute to depressive symptoms with negative health outcomes. The African American women are more apt to have less access to routine medical care where early diagnosis and interventions can be done, so their mental health problems (e.g., depression, stress, etc.) are often more developed, complicated, and their social supports more depleted when they do access treatment. When African American women do have access to mental health care, they receive poor quality care compared to Whites.

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