Neighborhood Social Group Participation and Depressive Symptoms Among Mid-to-Late Life Black Americans: Does the Association Differ by Ethnicity?

Receiving financial support and its association with late-age depression: The mediating role of social engagement

OBJECTIVES

Researchers have long been concerned with the association between family financial support and depression in older adults. However, it remains unclear whether social engagement influences the relationship between depression and financial support in later life. Therefore, this study aims to examine the relationship between receiving financial support from family and others and depression among Indian older adults and to also explore the mediating effect of social engagement on this relationship.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Data from the Longitudinal Aging Study in India Wave 1 (2017-2018) was used for the empirical analysis. A total sample of 30,210 older adults aged 60 years and above were selected for the study. The study employs bivariate and binary logistic regression analysis. Further Karlson-Holm-Breen method was adopted for mediation analysis.

RESULTS

The adjusted prevalence of depression among older adults who did not receive financial support from family or others was nearly 33.8 % (men: 29.8 %, women: 37.4 %), compared to 29.9 % for those who received support (men: 27.6 %, women: 32 %). Older adults who received financial support had 21 % lower odds of depression (AoR: 0.79; 95 % CI: 0.73, 0.84) than those who did not. Additionally, the association between depression and receiving financial support was mediated by social engagement (17.3 %) with the mediating effect being higher among older women (29.3 %) than older men (13.5 %).

CONCLUSION

The study advances that although financial support plays a significant role in reducing depressive symptoms in older adults, social engagement also serves as an important mediator in this relationship. Enhancing opportunities for social engagement may amplify the protective effects of financial support, offering a more comprehensive approach to addressing mental health challenges among aging populations in India.

Chronic Kidney Disease Is Associated With Increased All-Cause Mortality Risk Among Older Black Adults

Background and Objectives

Older patients diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have a higher risk of all-cause mortality than the general population. However, there is limited information available on how CKD relates to all-cause mortality among Black adults in the United States. We aimed to investigate how CKD relates to all-cause mortality risk among older Black adults.

Research Design and Methods

This study draws on a subsample of self-identified Black participants (N = 1 393) from the Health and Retirement Study ages 52 to 96 who completed the anthropomorphic and biomarker supplement in 2006/2008. Our measure of CKD derives from serum cystatin C-based using dried blood spots, and all-cause mortality derives from the National Death Index and a key informant within the household from 2006 to 2019.

Results

Twenty-nine percent of respondents died during the study period, whereas 31% had CKD. The mean age of the entire sample is 64.52. Results from our Cox proportional hazards models showed that CKD was independently associated with an increased risk of death from all causes among older Black participants in a model that adjusted for demographics, behavioral, clinical, and health characteristics.

Discussion and Implications

Results from our study confirm that CKD is associated with increased risk of death from all causes among older Black adults. Future studies should examine whether changes in CKD over time relate to all-cause mortality risk among older Black adults.

Where I'm Livin' and How I'm Feelin': Associations among community stress, gender, and mental-emotional health among Black Americans

RATIONALE

Structural racism is a primary avenue for the perpetuation of racial health disparities. For Black Americans, both historically and contemporarily, the neighborhood context serves as one of the most striking examples of structural racism, with stressful neighborhood contexts contributing to the well-documented inequalities in psychological functioning among this population.

OBJECTIVE

Thus, in this study, we adapted an intersectional-ecological framework to investigate the links between community stress and multiple dimensions of mental-emotional health for Black men and women.

METHODS

Drawing on cross-sectional data from 842 Black Americans from the Milwaukee area, we tested both objective (Area Deprivation Index; ADI) and subjective (perceived neighborhood disadvantage; PND) indicators of community stress as simultaneous predictors of negative and positive affect and the odds of psychological disorder (depression, anxiety) in multilevel models, examining gender differences in these linkages.

RESULTS

Results showed greater objective community stress was related to lower levels of negative affect for both men and women and lower odds of psychological disorder for women specifically. Greater subjective community stress was related to higher levels of negative affect and lower levels of positive affect for both men and women and to higher odds of psychological disorder for women specifically.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings highlight the complex intersectional nature of the links between community stress and Black Americans' mental-emotional health. Specifically, findings demonstrate the pernicious psychological effects of perceived community stress and allude to Black Americans', particularly women's, active resistance and resilience to objective disadvantage, potentially through investing in social relationships in their neighborhoods.

At the intersection of race and immigration: a comprehensive review of depression and related symptoms within the US Black population

Although the literature on the differences between Black people and White people in terms of differences in major depressive disorder and related self-reported symptoms is robust, less robust is the literature on how these outcomes are patterned within the US Black population and why differences exist. Given increased ethnic diversity of Black Americans due to increases in immigration, continued aggregation may mask differences between Black ethnic-immigrant groups and Black Americans with more distant ancestral ties to Africa (African Americans). The purpose of this narrative review was to comprehensively synthesize the literature on depression and related symptoms within the US Black population across immigration- and ethnicity-related domains and provide a summary of mechanisms proposed to explain variation. Findings revealed substantial variation in the presence of these outcomes within the US Black population by nativity, region of birth, age at immigration, and Caribbean ethnic origin. Racial context and racial socialization were identified as important, promising mechanisms for better understanding variations by region of birth and among those born or socialized in the United States, respectively. Findings warrant data collection efforts and measurement innovation to better account for within-racial differences in outcomes under study. A greater appreciation of the growing ethnic-immigrant diversity within the US Black population may improve understanding of how racism differentially functions as a cause of depression and related symptoms within this group.

Trajectories of depressive symptoms among older African Americans: the influence of neighborhood characteristics and gender

OBJECTIVES

Focusing on older African Americans, this study aims to (1) identify 9-year trajectories of depressive symptoms, (2) examine the association between baseline neighborhood characteristics (i.e., social cohesion and physical disadvantage) and trajectories of depressive symptoms, and (3) test whether the effects of neighborhood characteristics on depressive symptoms trajectories differ by gender.

METHODS

Data came from the National Health and Aging Trend Study. Older African Americans at baseline were selected (N = 1662) and followed up for eight rounds. Depressive symptom trajectories were estimated using group-based trajectory modeling. Weighted multinomial logistic regressions were conducted.

RESULTS

Three trajectories of depressive symptoms were identified: "persistently low," "moderate and increasing," and "high and decreasing" (Objective 1). Objective 2 and 3 were partially supported. Specifically, high perceived neighborhood social cohesion was associated with a lower relative risk of being on the "moderate and increasing" versus the "persistently low" trajectory (RRR = 0.64, p < 0.01). The association between neighborhood physical disadvantage and depressive symptom trajectories was stronger among older African American men compared to women.

CONCLUSIONS

High levels of neighborhood social cohesion may protect against increasing depressive symptoms in older African Americans. Compared to women, older African American men may be more vulnerable to negative mental health effects of neighborhood physical disadvantage.

James S. Jackson and the program for research on Black Americans: Contributions to psychology and the social sciences

James S. Jackson (1944-2020) is remembered as a groundbreaking social psychologist whose career contributions in scholarship, research, and service were fundamental to the field of psychology. This article briefly outlines his career-long work and contributions. A strong believer in interdisciplinary work, his research spanned other related social science disciplines (e.g., sociology, political science), as well as health and social welfare professions (public health, social work, medicine). As the founding director of the Program for Research on Black Americans at the Institute for Social Research, James Jackson initiated and led a long-standing program with a dual focus on research and training and mentoring doctoral students, postdoctoral scholars, and early career scientists. Jackson's efforts in the development of several nationally representative surveys of the Black population in the United States (e.g., National Survey of Black Americans, National Survey of American Life) revolutionized research focusing on the lives of Black Americans. James Jackson's international influence and reputation included numerous prestigious positions within national science organizations and honors and awards for his scientific contributions. Among James S. Jackson's most enduring legacies is the vast network of current scientists, researchers, and academics who were trained under his direction and leadership. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Less Social Participation Is Associated With a Higher Risk of Depressive Symptoms Among Chinese Older Adults: A Community-Based Longitudinal Prospective Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to examine the association between social participation and depressive symptoms among Chinese older people aged 65 years or above to supplement limited studies in China on this topic.

METHODS

This community-based longitudinal prospective cohort study used the data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS, baseline in 2014 and a follow-up in 2018). Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Social participation was assessed using a composite index by considering the frequency for the two types of social activity: organized social activities and informal activities. Pearson's χ² test was used to correlate the characteristics of participants with social participation or depressive symptoms. Log-binomial regression models were used to assess the association between social participation and the risk of depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

The incidence of depressive symptoms was 28.8% among 2,200 participants in 2018 after a 4-year follow-up. Participants with no social participation (32.6%), organized social activities (30.6%), or informal social activities (31.2%) were more likely to have depressive symptoms. After the adjustment of demographic factors, socioeconomic status, lifestyle habits, and health status, in comparison with older people who often engaged in social participation, organized social activities, and informal social activities, the risk of depressive symptoms was 45% [adjusted risk ratio (aRR): 1.45, 95% CI: 1.16-1.82], 42% (aRR: 1.45, 95% CI: 1.02-2.00), and 29% (aRR: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.02-1.99) higher among older people with no social participation and who never engaged in organized social activities and informal social activities, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed that the lack of social participation, including organized social activities and informal social activities, was associated with a higher risk of depressive symptoms after 4 years among older adults in China. Our findings shed lights into the feasibility of promoting social participation to reduce the risk of depressive symptoms and promote longevity and healthy aging among older adults.

Stress Exposure and Physical Health among Older African American and Caribbean Black Women

Objectives: This study assessed whether multiple stress exposures and stress accumulation explained differences in physical health among Afro-Caribbean and African American women in older adulthood. Whether specific stressors uniquely influenced the health of African American and Afro-Caribbean women was also examined. Methods: Data were drawn from the National Survey of American Life (NSAL) (N=867; 50 years and older). Physical health was assessed by multiple chronic conditions, functional limitations, and self-rated health. Weighted binary logistic regression and ordered logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results: Compared to Afro-Caribbean women, African American women had worse physical health and greater stress exposure. Nonetheless, stress exposure did not explain ethnic differences in physical health. The association between specific measures of stress and physical health was dependent on the stressor and physical health measure. Discussion: Findings emphasize the importance of ethnic variation in health and stress exposure among older US Black women. Study implications are discussed.

Romantic Relationship Status, Quality, and Depressive Symptoms Among Middle-Aged and Older Black Women

OBJECTIVES

Past research has established a link between romantic relationships and depressive symptoms among adults, including those in later life. There is, however, still a lack of evidence regarding whether romantic relationship status or relationship quality is a better predictor of psychological well-being among middle-aged and older Black adult women.

METHODS

The present study draws on data from the Family and Community Health Study, a multisite, longitudinal survey of health and psychosocial experiences of Black families, to examine how relationship status and quality relate to depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older Black adult women (N = 571). A series of negative binomial regression models, with 95% confidence intervals and internal moderators, were used to assess the research questions.

RESULTS

Middle-aged and older Black women in married, cohabiting, and dating relationships who reported higher levels of relationship quality had a lower likelihood of depressive symptoms than those who reported lower levels of relationship quality or who did not report being in any romantic relationship when controlling for baseline depressive symptoms. The findings from our study indicate that relationship quality is a better predictor of depressive symptoms than relationship status.

DISCUSSION

Our findings extend the body of literature on the impact of romantic relationships on individual well-being and provide compelling evidence that such relationships, particularly those of high quality, are significantly associated with lower depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older Black women.