Journal article
Psychosocial stress and social support as mediators of relationships between income, length of residence and depressive symptoms among African American women on Detroit's eastside
Social science & medicine (1982), Vol.62(2), pp.510-522
2006
DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.06.028
PMID: 16081196
Abstract
Patterns of mental health are clearly associated with life circumstances, including educational and economic opportunities, access to safe and supportive neighborhoods, socially structured exposures to stressors and to supportive relationships. In this article, we examine the social and economic correlates of depressive symptoms among African American women residing within a predominantly African American urban neighborhood in Detroit, USA, with relatively few economic resources. We identify distinct stressors associated with financial strain, neighborhood social disorder (concern about police responsiveness, safety stress), and experiences of discrimination. We test the extent to which each of these stressors mediates relationships between household income, length of residence in the neighborhood, social support and depressive symptoms. Our results suggest that for women in this racially segregated area with a high concentration of poverty, relationships between household income and symptoms of depression are partially mediated by financial stress and social support, but that stressors associated with neighborhood disorder and discrimination influence depressive symptoms independent of household income. Furthermore, we find that length of residence in the neighborhood is negatively associated with financial stress and positively associated with police stress and social support, with no significant net effect on symptoms of depression. We conclude that higher household income may help reduce symptoms of depression by reducing financial stress and strengthening social support even within neighborhoods with high concentrations of poverty. However, increased household income does not protect African American women residing in a high poverty community from distress associated with neighborhood disorder or experiences of discrimination.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Psychosocial stress and social support as mediators of relationships between income, length of residence and depressive symptoms among African American women on Detroit's eastside
- Creators
- Amy J Schulz - University of Michigan, School of Public Health, Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, 1420 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, USABarbara A Israel - University of Michigan, School of Public Health, Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, 1420 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, USAShannon N Zenk - University of Illinois at Chicago, Program in Cancer Control and Population Sciences, Institute for Health Research and Policy, 1747 W. Roosevelt, MC 275, Chicago, IL 60608, USAEdith A Parker - University of Michigan, School of Public Health, Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, 1420 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, USARichard Lichtenstein - University of Michigan School of Public Health, Department of Health Management and Policy, USASheryl Shellman-Weir - University of Michigan, School of Public Health, Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, 1420 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, USALaura Klem - University of Michigan, Center for Statistical Consultation and Research, USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Social science & medicine (1982), Vol.62(2), pp.510-522
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.06.028
- PMID
- 16081196
- NLM abbreviation
- Soc Sci Med
- ISSN
- 0277-9536
- eISSN
- 1873-5347
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 2006
- Academic Unit
- Public Health Administration; Injury Prevention Research Center; Public Policy Center (Archive); Community and Behavioral Health
- Record Identifier
- 9984063116402771
Metrics
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