1
|
Mincey K, Allen-Joyner C, Bowens R, Richardson B, Smith L, Mize V, Al-Haleem D, Graham E, Davis V, Dave A, Ahmadieh M, Beblowski M, Faul S, Joseph J, Moore K, Patel A, Shoemaker M. Mental Health and Black Male Graduate Students. SOCIAL WORK IN PUBLIC HEALTH 2024:1-10. [PMID: 38967051 DOI: 10.1080/19371918.2024.2376088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to understand how masculinity and race impact mental health among Black male graduate students. A qualitative study using in-depth interviews recruited Black male graduate students enrolled at a private university in the southern United States. Data were collected over zoom and recorded. Interviews were transcribed and the data were analyzed for similar themes. Twenty-nine Black male graduate students 23 to 51 were recruited. Participants reported the three main elements that impacted their mental health were (1) expectations, (2) pressure, and (3) being strong. These findings suggest that colleges need to develop programming to help Black men learn how to handle racial discrimination in positive ways. Additionally, findings also highlight the need for culturally relevant mental health services that let Black men know seeking help is ok and is what men do.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Krista Mincey
- Department of Community Medicine, Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon, Georgia, USA
| | | | - Rick Bowens
- Department of Community Medicine, Mercer University School of Medicine, Savannah, Georgia, USA
| | - Brianna Richardson
- Department of Community Medicine, Mercer University School of Medicine, Columbus, Georgia, USA
| | - Lindsay Smith
- Department of Community Medicine, Mercer University School of Medicine, Savannah, Georgia, USA
| | - Veronica Mize
- Department of Community Medicine, Mercer University School of Medicine, Savannah, Georgia, USA
| | - Dahlia Al-Haleem
- College of Law, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | | | - Victoria Davis
- Department of Community Medicine, Mercer University School of Medicine, Savannah, Georgia, USA
| | - Aditi Dave
- Department of Community Medicine, Mercer University School of Medicine, Savannah, Georgia, USA
| | - Maya Ahmadieh
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Matthew Beblowski
- Department of Community Medicine, Mercer University School of Medicine, Savannah, Georgia, USA
| | - Skylar Faul
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Joy Joseph
- North Carolina Medicaid, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kendra Moore
- Department of Community Medicine, Mercer University School of Medicine, Savannah, Georgia, USA
| | - Aakash Patel
- Wellstar Kennestone Hospital, Marietta, Georgia, USA
| | - Melanie Shoemaker
- Department of Community Medicine, Mercer University School of Medicine, Savannah, Georgia, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Nguyen AW, Hope MO, Qin W, Cobb N, Ding K, Taylor HO, Mitchell UA. "So, Do Not Fear": Religion and the prevalence, persistence, and severity of anxiety disorders among Black Americans. J Affect Disord 2024; 350:247-254. [PMID: 38232778 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.01.085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a dearth of scholarship that explicates the effects of religious participation on anxiety disorders among Black Americans. A better understanding of the links between religious participation, a coping resource, and anxiety disorders among Black Americans remains essential, given Black Americans are less likely than their white counterparts to seek professional treatment for mental health problems, leading to greater unmet mental health needs. The aim of this study was to investigate whether religious participation is associated with the prevalence, persistence, and severity of anxiety disorders among Black adults. METHODS We used a national sample of Black adults (N = 4999) from the National Survey of American Life, a cross-sectional study conducted from 2001 to 2003. Five anxiety disorders were assessed: posttraumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and agoraphobia. Three dimensions of religious participation were assessed: organizational, non-organizational, and subjective religious participation. Weighted logistic and linear regressions were estimated to examine the associations between religious participation and anxiety disorders. RESULTS Findings indicate that organizational religious participation and subjective religiosity were associated with lower odds of anxiety disorders and decreased severity. Findings for non-organizational religious participation in relation to the prevalence, persistence, and severity of anxiety disorders were mixed. LIMITATIONS The study limitations include the utilization of self-reported measures, cross-sectional study design, and age of the data set. CONCLUSIONS Different dimensions of religious participation have differing effects on anxiety disorders. Religious participation may be an important resource for Black Americans in coping and preventing anxiety disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ann W Nguyen
- Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, United States of America.
| | | | - Weidi Qin
- Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work, University of Wisconsin, Madison, United States of America
| | - Nichole Cobb
- Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, United States of America
| | - Kedong Ding
- Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, United States of America
| | - Harry O Taylor
- Factor Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Uchechi A Mitchell
- School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Stiles-Shields C, Cummings C, Montague E, Plevinsky JM, Psihogios AM, Williams KDA. A Call to Action: Using and Extending Human-Centered Design Methodologies to Improve Mental and Behavioral Health Equity. Front Digit Health 2022; 4:848052. [PMID: 35547091 PMCID: PMC9081673 DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2022.848052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Mental health disparities directly tie to structural racism. Digital mental health (DMH), the use of technologies to deliver services, have been touted as a way to expand access to care and reduce disparities. However, many DMH fail to mitigate the persistent disparities associated with structural racism that impact delivery (e.g., costs, dependable internet access)-and may even exacerbate them. Human-centered design (HCD) may be uniquely poised to design and test interventions alongside, rather than "for," marginalized individuals. In employing HCD methodologies, developers may proceed with a vested interest in understanding and establishing empathy with users and their needs, behaviors, environments, and constraints. As such, HCD used to mindfully address structural racism in behavioral health care may address shortcomings of prior interventions that have neglected to elevate the voices of marginalized individuals. We argue that a paradigm shift in behavioral health services research is critically needed-one that embraces HCD as a key methodological framework for developing and evaluating interventions with marginalized communities, to ultimately promote more accessible, useful, and equitable care. The current commentary illustrates practical examples of the use of HCD methodologies to develop and evaluate DMH designed with marginalized populations, while also highlighting its limitations and need for even greater inclusivity. Following this, calls to action to learn from and improve upon HCD methodologies will be detailed. Acknowledging potential limitations of current design practices, methodologies must ultimately engage representative voices beyond research participation and invest in their active role as compensated and true collaborators to intervention design.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Colleen Stiles-Shields
- Section of Community Behavioral Health, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States,*Correspondence: Colleen Stiles-Shields
| | - Caroline Cummings
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States
| | - Enid Montague
- College of Computing and Digital Media, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Jill M. Plevinsky
- Pediatric Transplant Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States,Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Alexandra M. Psihogios
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States,Division of Oncology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Kofoworola D. A. Williams
- Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies, Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Yelton B, Friedman DB, Noblet S, Lohman MC, Arent MA, Macauda MM, Sakhuja M, Leith KH. Social Determinants of Health and Depression among African American Adults: A Scoping Review of Current Research. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19031498. [PMID: 35162519 PMCID: PMC8834771 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19031498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Depression in the United States (US) is increasing across all races and ethnicities and is attributed to multiple social determinants of health (SDOH). For members of historically marginalized races and ethnicities, depression is often underreported and undertreated, and can present as more severe. Limited research explores multiple SDOH and depression among African American adults in the US. Guided by Healthy People (HP) 2030, and using cross-disciplinary mental health terminology, we conducted a comprehensive search to capture studies specific to African American adults in the US published after 2016. We applied known scoping review methodology and followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. From 12,315 initial results, 60 studies were included in our final sample. Most studies explored the HP 2030 Social and Community Context domain, with a heavy focus on discrimination and social support; no studies examined Health Care Access and Quality. Researchers typically utilized cross-sectional, secondary datasets; no qualitative studies were included. We recommend research that comprehensively examines mental health risk and protective factors over the life course within, not just between, populations to inform tailored health promotion and public policy interventions for improving SDOH and reducing racial and ethnic health disparities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brooks Yelton
- Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA; (B.Y.); (S.N.); (M.A.A.); (M.M.M.); (M.S.); (K.H.L.)
| | - Daniela B. Friedman
- Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA; (B.Y.); (S.N.); (M.A.A.); (M.M.M.); (M.S.); (K.H.L.)
- Office for the Study of Aging, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA;
- Correspondence:
| | - Samuel Noblet
- Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA; (B.Y.); (S.N.); (M.A.A.); (M.M.M.); (M.S.); (K.H.L.)
- Prevention Research Center, Department of Health Promotion, Education and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Matthew C. Lohman
- Office for the Study of Aging, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA;
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Michelle A. Arent
- Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA; (B.Y.); (S.N.); (M.A.A.); (M.M.M.); (M.S.); (K.H.L.)
| | - Mark M. Macauda
- Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA; (B.Y.); (S.N.); (M.A.A.); (M.M.M.); (M.S.); (K.H.L.)
- Center for Applied Research and Evaluation, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Mayank Sakhuja
- Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA; (B.Y.); (S.N.); (M.A.A.); (M.M.M.); (M.S.); (K.H.L.)
| | - Katherine H. Leith
- Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA; (B.Y.); (S.N.); (M.A.A.); (M.M.M.); (M.S.); (K.H.L.)
- Office for the Study of Aging, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA;
| |
Collapse
|