Department of Sociology, Population Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
Department of Sociology and Criminology, Social Science Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
Womens Health (Lond). 2024 Jan-Dec;20:17455057241274923. doi: 10.1177/17455057241274923.
Older Black women experience structural and intersectional disadvantages at the intersection of age, race, and gender. Their disadvantaged social statuses can translate into serious psychological health consequences. One concept that may aid in understanding psychosocial determinants of older Black women's depression risk is the "Strong Black Woman," which suggests that Black women have supernatural strength amidst experiencing adversity and are expected to "be strong" for others by providing self-sacrificial aid without complaint.
Drawing inspiration from the "Strong Black Woman" concept, the current study examined whether three psychosocial factors (i.e., mastery, anger suppression, and relational demands (from spouse, children, relatives, and friends)) were associated with depressive symptoms, clinically significant depressive symptoms, and lifetime professionally diagnosed depression among older Black women (i.e., ages 50 years and older).
This was a cross-sectional study. Data were drawn from the 2010 to 2012 waves of the Health and Retirement Study ( = 1,217).
For past-week depressive symptoms, ordinary least squares regression analyses were conducted, and beta coefficients were reported. For clinically significant depressive symptoms (i.e., reporting three or more depressive symptoms in the past week) and lifetime professionally diagnosed depression, binary logistic regression analyses were performed, and odds ratios were reported.
Higher levels of mastery were associated with lower risk for depressive symptoms and depression. Anger suppression was associated with higher risk for depressive symptoms and depression. Demands from children and one's spouse were associated with higher depressive symptoms while demands from family were associated with risk for lifetime depression diagnosis. Not having a spouse was associated with heightened risk of depressive symptoms and depression. Interestingly, demands from friends were not associated with depressive symptoms nor diagnosed depression.
Study findings revealed important nuances in the determinants of depression among older Black women which, in turn, has implications for research and mental health care provision in this population.
老年黑人女性在年龄、种族和性别交叉点上经历着结构性和交叉性劣势。她们不利的社会地位可能会导致严重的心理健康后果。一个可能有助于理解老年黑人女性抑郁风险的社会心理决定因素的概念是“坚强的黑人女性”，它表明黑人女性在逆境中有超自然的力量，并且应该通过无私地提供自我牺牲的帮助而“坚强”，而不抱怨。
受“坚强的黑人女性”这一概念的启发，本研究调查了三个社会心理因素（即掌握、愤怒抑制和来自配偶、子女、亲属和朋友的关系需求）是否与老年黑人女性（即年龄在 50 岁及以上）的抑郁症状、临床显著抑郁症状和一生中经专业诊断的抑郁有关。
这是一项横断面研究。数据来自 2010 年至 2012 年的健康与退休研究（n=1217）。
对于过去一周的抑郁症状，进行了普通最小二乘法回归分析，并报告了β系数。对于临床显著抑郁症状（即过去一周报告三个或更多抑郁症状）和一生中经专业诊断的抑郁，进行了二项逻辑回归分析，并报告了比值比。
较高的掌握程度与较低的抑郁症状和抑郁风险相关。愤怒抑制与抑郁症状和抑郁风险增加相关。来自孩子和配偶的需求与较高的抑郁症状相关，而来自家庭的需求与终生抑郁诊断风险相关。没有配偶与较高的抑郁症状和抑郁风险相关。有趣的是，来自朋友的需求与抑郁症状或诊断性抑郁无关。
研究结果揭示了老年黑人女性抑郁决定因素的重要细微差别，这反过来又对该人群的研究和心理健康护理提供产生了影响。
