Church Support among African American and Black Caribbean Adolescents

Sexual Sanctification and Relationship Satisfaction in Black Heterosexual Couples

This study examines dyadic data from 299 married and 242 cohabiting Black heterosexual couples in the United States (an understudied cross-section of the population) and assesses individual (actor) effects as well as couple (partner) effects of sexual sanctification and relationship satisfaction. Higher levels of sexual sanctification were associated with higher levels of relationship satisfaction for women and men in the actor effects, but no significant associations were found in the partner effects for couples. Additionally, initial findings suggest that sexual sanctification may act as a relational protective factor for Black married and cohabiting couples. Implications for further research as well as practical applications for clergy, therapists, and practitioners working with Black heterosexual couples in sexual relationships are also discussed.

Impact of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy on Anxiety Levels Among African American Adolescents

Anxiety and depression among adolescents in the United States has steadily increased. In addition, significant disparities in access to mental health care exist for African Americans. The purpose of the current project was to support the mental health of African American adolescents involved in faith-based youth groups through implementation of dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT). The community partner was an African American church in Southwest Georgia. Mindfulness training modules are offered in monthly sessions. Pre- and post-intervention surveys and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) were analyzed, comparing mean GAD-7 scores before and after participation. Nurse-led quality improvement initiatives support adolescent mental health and provide sustainable resources for mental health in rural areas. Results of the quality improvement project reveal improvement in self-reported anxiety symptoms among participants after the 4-month DBT intervention. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, xx(xx), xx-xx.].

Daily discrimination, church support, personal mastery, and psychological distress in black people in the United States

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 daily 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 daily discrimination, personal mastery, church-based social support, and psychological distress.

RESULTS

Daily discrimination was an independent predictor of psychological distress across all groups. Group- and age-specific comparisons revealed significant differences in the experience of daily discrimination and psychological distress. Mastery was a partial mediator of the relationship between discrimination and psychological distress 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 daily 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.

An Examination of Culturally Relevant Health Messages in African-American Churches

This quantitative study examined the presence of culturally relevant health messages for African-Americans based on a preexisting dataset from 21 African-American churches in South Carolina (USA). Content analysis served as the primary methodological approach to code printed media messages based on their cultural relevance among African-Americans (Cohen's kappa = .74). Within the dataset (n = 2166), 477 (22%) items were identified as culturally relevant. A low prevalence of culturally relevant messages was found across the three message topics, two media types, and one media source. Due to the limited presence of culturally relevant messages, researchers should collaborate with African-American churches to design health promotion messages.

Church-Based Emotional Support and Negative Interactions Among Older African Americans and Black Caribbeans

OBJECTIVES

This study investigates church-based informal social support among older African Americans and Black Caribbeans. In particular, we examine the correlates of receiving emotional support as well as negative interactions (e.g., criticisms) from church members.

METHODS

The analysis is based on the older African American (n = 829) and Black Caribbean (n = 271) subsample of the National Survey of American Life. The analysis utilizes multiple group structural equation modeling (SEM) to test a model of church support networks.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences between older African Americans and older Black Caribbeans in the frequency of service attendance, contact with church members (seeing, writing, talking), emotional support from church members, or negative interactions with church members. However, a comparison of SEM analysis indicates that the number and pattern of relationships are different. For instance, among African Americans church attendance was associated with emotional support, but among Black Caribbeans attendance did not have a direct or indirect effect on emotional support. Our findings also indicate that among older African Americans, women attend religious services more frequently and both receive emotional support and engage in negative interactions with church members more frequently than men. Among Black Caribbeans, however, men attend religious services less frequently than women but also have more negative interactions with church members.

DISCUSSION

For both African American and Black Caribbean older adults, church members are an important element of their social support networks. Our analysis also underscores the importance of contact with church members for receiving emotional support for both populations.

COVID-19 Vaccine Sentiments Among African American or Black Adolescents in Rural Alabama

Considering the urgent need to increase vaccine uptake in Alabama, a rural state with the lowest rates of COVID-19 vaccination in the country, we conducted an exploratory study to elucidate sentiments toward vaccination among African American or black adolescents. We conducted in-depth interviews with 15-17 year olds in rural Alabama (N = 28). About 54% of our sample were female. Nearly a third lived with an older family member; 18% knew someone who contracted COVID-19. Using Rapid Qualitative Analysis, 3 COVID-19 vaccine-related themes emerged: influence of community leaders and older family members, fear of side effects and misinformation, and institutional distrust. To address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among rural African American or black adolescents, we suggest adopting a socioecological approach to public health messaging that addresses misinformation and government distrust and is delivered by local influencers with the social capital necessary to promote behavior change, namely older family members and Church officials.

A very present help: The role of religious support for Black adolescent girls' mental well-being

This study explored religious emotional support as a mediator of the association between organized religious involvement (ORI) and mental well-being among African American and Caribbean Black girls. Data are drawn from a nationally representative survey of Black adolescents. The sample was composed of African American (n = 412) and Caribbean Black (n = 165) girls, aged 13-17. Structural equation modeling tested direct and indirect effects of ORI on mental well-being, through religious emotional support. For African American girls, ORI was not directly related to any of the mental well-being outcomes. Religious emotional support mediated the association between ORI and self-esteem, mastery, and life satisfaction. For Caribbean Black girls, ORI was negatively associated with mastery and life satisfaction. Religious emotional support mediated the association between ORI and life satisfaction. Results suggest that the well-being benefits of ORI for Black girls only remain significant in the presence of religious emotional support and are different for ethnic subgroups.

A Social-Ecological Perspective of Spiritual Resilience and Suicidality among African-American Men

Despite their minoritized status research has shown that suicide among African-American men has steadily increased. Research has also discussed generalized protective factors that have been found to mitigate suicide risk. What lacks is a more culturally nuanced definition of spiritual resilience which has been found to protect against suicide for African-American men. Using Socio-Ecological Resiliency Theory (S-ERT), The Theory of Intersectionality (TOI), and Critical Race Theory (CRT) as our theoretical lens, this article draws on the lived experiences of social workers working with suicidal African-American men. It examines the social ecologies of African-American men and seeks to understand how these experiences can help to mitigate suicide risk. Implications are provided for social work research, policy and education programs to ensure that practitioners are well versed in working with this population.

Patterns of Social Connectedness and Psychosocial Wellbeing among African American and Caribbean Black Adolescents

Adolescents are connected to multiple and interrelated settings (e.g., family, school), which interact to influence their development. Using the National Survey of American Life-Adolescent (NSAL-A), a nationally representative cross-sectional survey, this study examined patterns of social connection and Black adolescents' wellbeing and whether social connection-wellbeing links differed by ethnicity and gender. The sample included 1170 Black adolescents ages 13-17 (69% African American, 31% Caribbean Black, 52% female, mean age 15). Latent profile analysis was used to identify profiles of adolescent connections across family, peer, school, religion, and neighborhood settings. Four profiles of social connection emerged: unconnected, minimal connection, high family connection, and well-connected. The profiles differed in life satisfaction, self-esteem, mastery, coping, perceived stress, and depressive symptoms. The well-connected profile, characterized by connection to all five settings, had significantly higher life satisfaction, self-esteem, mastery, and coping, and lower perceived stress compared to the unconnected and minimal connection profiles and lower depressive symptoms than the unconnected profile. The well-connected profile also had better self-esteem and coping compared to the high family connection profile. The youth in the unconnected profile had significantly lower self-esteem and mastery and significantly higher depressive symptoms than the minimally connected youth. Moderation analyses showed no differences by ethnicity. However, differences by gender were observed for the association between connectedness and life satisfaction. The results support the critical need to examine connectedness across multiple settings and within group heterogeneity among Black youth to develop strategies to promote their psychosocial wellbeing.

Black Caribbean Emerging Adults: A Systematic Review of Religion and Health

Religion, a prominent factor among Black diasporic communities, influences their health outcomes. Given the increase in Black Caribbeans living in the United States, it is important to understand how religion's function among different ethnic groups of Black Americans. We systematically reviewed four databases and included articles of any study design if they (a) focused on the religious experiences of emerging adults (18-29 years) identifying as Black Caribbean in the United States, in light of medical, public health, or mental health outcomes, and (b) were published before November 30, 2018. Study results contribute to future studies' conceptualization and measurement of religion among Black Caribbean emerging adults.

Where Our Bright Star Is Cast: Religiosity, Spirituality, and Positive Black Development in Urban Landscapes

Social science research offers a particular, narrow view of the lived experiences of Black urban-residing people. When the religious and spiritual lives of Black urban residents are viewed through this narrow lens, the diversity of religious and spiritual experiences and the connections between everyday life and positive outcomes, such as compassion, hope, liberation, joy, etc., become flattened, doing a disservice to the very people whose experiences we aim to understand. We contend that understanding the link between religiosity, spirituality, and positive development among Black urban-residing people requires us to pay attention to the ways that faith helps Black people to navigate the sequelae of five distinct sociopolitical features of urban life. We propose a conceptual framework that links these sociopolitical factors to religiosity, spirituality, and positive development among Black youth and adults residing in urban spaces. We conclude with recommendations applicable to the study of Black urban religiosity and spirituality.