Clinging to any bit of joy: urban, ethnically diverse, impoverished women's descriptions of anxiety and depression

Capturing men's perspectives on prevalence, existing resources, and solutions to depression and anxiety using community-based participatory research and focus groups

OBJECTIVE

Men are predisposed to suffer from unaddressed depression and anxiety. The purpose of this study was to capture the perceptions of men in three urban, racially/ethnically diverse, under-resourced, and impoverished neighborhoods around this health issue. The results were used to design a resident-driven solution to this health disparity.

DESIGN

Design This study utilized a focus group method within the ideological perspective of community-based participatory research (CBPR).

SAMPLE

Sample The researchers recruited 50 Black, Hispanic, and White men aged 23-83 years to participate in this study during the summer of 2021.

MEASUREMENTS

Measurements Data were collected via six homogeneous, Zoom-based focus groups. Five of the focus groups were offered in English and the sixth in Spanish.

RESULTS

The men identified themes and subthemes pertaining to the perception of widespread depression and anxiety in their neighborhoods, existing typical and atypical community resources, and suggested solutions to this health disparity. These results were translated into a solution involving the training of five male, lay mental health ambassadors.

CONCLUSIONS

Policies and solutions to issues of mental health disparity must be informed by the communities that they intend to serve. CBPR is a robust vehicle for empowering communities to address the healthcare issues facing them.

Men's mental health - Conceptualization, effects, and coping

Men are predisposed to suffer with unaddressed depression and anxiety. This study sought to empower men, in three urban, racially/ethnically diverse, underserved, and impoverished neighborhoods, for mental health self-care by capturing their perceptions of depression and anxiety. Using community-based participatory research, in the context of long-term partnerships between a department of nursing and these neighborhoods, the researchers recruited 50 men aged 23-83 years. Data were collected via six homogeneous, zoom-based focus groups composed of Black, Hispanic, and White men, respectively. The men identified themes pertaining to the conceptualization and devastating effects of depression and anxiety as well as coping strategies employed to mitigate the symptoms.

A Latent Class Analysis of Personal Coping Resources and Depressive Symptoms Among Middle-Aged and Older Latinx Adults

Objectives: To identify coping profiles and evaluate their implications for depressive symptoms among Latinx adults. Methods: Data come from a community-dwelling sample of Latinx adults ages 45+ in Florida (N = 461). Latent class analysis was used to identify profiles of personal coping resources based on patterns across spirituality (spiritual coping, divine fate), ethnic identity (centrality, connectedness), and personal control (mastery, self-esteem). Multivariable linear regression assessed differences in depressive symptoms across coping resource classes. Results: Four coping resource profiles were identified: (1) low resources overall, yet high spiritual coping; (2) high spirituality and personal control; (3) high spirituality and ethnic identity; and (4) high resources overall. Members of Class 4 had significantly fewer depressive symptoms than members of Class 1 and Class 3, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, p < .001. Discussion: Results elucidate nuances in personal coping resources among aging Latinx adults, identify under-resourced groups, and suggest that resource profiles characterized by few personal coping resources are linked with more depressive symptoms. Findings clarify the underpinnings of the latent coping construct and have implications for mental health promotion interventions among aging Latinx adults.

Women Supporting Women: The Use of Art With Anxious/Depressed, Urban, Impoverished, Ethnically Diverse Women

BACKGROUND: Depression and anxiety disproportionately affect urban, ethnically diverse, impoverished women-particularly when access to culturally sensitive care is limited. Using community-based participatory research in the context of long-term, academic/community partnerships, women supporting women, a supportive/educative group intervention piloting an art project, was offered. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of an artist book-making project on diverse women struggling with anxiety and depression. METHODS: A descriptive qualitative approach was used within this mixed-method study. Thirty-one participants, aged 18 to 86 years, were asked: (1) How does this book tell your story? (2) How did creating this book impact you personally? (3) How would you describe the experience of creating your book alongside women from our group? (4) How did this project help you with anxiety and depression? (5) What did you do with the book that you made? The framework method for analysis of qualitative data in multidisciplinary health research was used. RESULTS: Four themes, with corresponding subthemes, were identified: (1) personal story entailed expression of past, present, and future journey and mediums to depict the story; (2) method of coping included relaxation, diversion, and self-care; (3) creative impact encompassed affirmation of identity, empowerment, healing, pride in work, and a vehicle to connect; and (4) creating in community incorporated inspiration, sharing, and solidarity. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that an art project provides a culturally sensitive, clinically relevant, and cost-effective self-care intervention for vulnerable women struggling with anxiety and depression.

A Qualitative Inquiry Addressing the Experience of Depression in Impoverished Ethnically Diverse Women: Implications for Developing a Community-Based Model

BACKGROUND

Literature suggests that a disparity exists relative to the higher prevalence of depression among the population of impoverished ethnically diverse women, the services available, and care received resulting in a significant health issue for women.

OBJECTIVES

An exploratory-descriptive qualitative study explored the experiences of depression among the population and key stakeholders to inform the development of a community-based program to reduce depression and improve the quality of life of ethnically diverse women residing in an urban community.

DESIGN

Data were collected using focus groups and individual interviews with members of the population and key community representatives, transcribed verbatim, reviewed for accuracy, coded, and analyzed for themes.

RESULTS

Compassion, ease, and hope emerged as the three overarching foundational themes.

CONCLUSION

An intentional infrastructure and strategies to create an experience of compassion, ease, and hope appear to be essential core components of a successful community mental health program model for impoverished women experiencing depression.

Women supporting women: Supportive/educative groups for ethnically diverse, urban, impoverished women dealing with depression and anxiety

Depression and anxiety are mental health issues that disproportionately affect urban, ethnically diverse, impoverished women. Using community based participatory research and in the context of long-term partnerships between a nursing department and underserved neighborhoods that are predominately Black, Hispanic, and White respectively, supportive/educative groups were offered. The study employed a quasi-experimental, nonequivalent comparison group pretest-posttest design. Seventy-two women aged 17-88 years participated. Repeated measures ANOVA indicated a significant increase in knowledge for self-care for depression and anxiety and a significant decrease in anxiety and depression symptomatology from before to after the group sessions.

Social Determinants of Depression Among Hispanic Women

BACKGROUND

Depression is the number one cause of disability in the world. Hispanic women are at a higher risk for depression than Caucasian and African American women. This is in part due to multiple social determinants of health that affect the individual, family, aggregates, and community.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the social determinants of depression among Hispanic women in South Florida.

DESIGN

This is a secondary cross-sectional data analysis. A total of 280 Hispanic women from South Florida between 18 and 50 years of age were analyzed.

RESULTS

Depression is prevalent among Hispanic women in South Florida (37.5%). Education, health status, and living with partner were significant predictors of depression in the sample.

CONCLUSION

Development of a culturally tailored risk assessment tool that highlights the social determinants of depression in Hispanic women is essential, as it could be used as a standard practice in primary care and other appropriate settings.

Conducting Research With Community Groups

Nurse scientists are increasingly recognizing the necessity of conducting research with community groups to effectively address complex health problems and successfully translate scientific advancements into the community. Although several barriers to conducting research with community groups exist, community-based participatory research (CBPR) has the potential to mitigate these barriers. CBPR has been employed in programs of research that respond in culturally sensitive ways to identify community needs and thereby address current health disparities. This article presents case studies that demonstrate how CBPR principles guided the development of (a) a healthy body weight program for urban, underserved African American women; (b) a reproductive health educational intervention for urban, low-income, underserved, ethnically diverse women; and (c) a pilot anxiety/depression intervention for urban, low-income, underserved, ethnically diverse women. These case studies illustrate the potential of CBPR as an orientation to research that can be employed effectively in non-research-intensive academic environments.