Correlates of Spirituality among African American and Black Caribbean Emerging Adults.

Spirituality is a significant cultural strength and resource for Black emerging adults. Numerous studies show that increasing numbers of emerging adults tend to identify themselves as being spiritual but not religious. However, no studies to date have identified the demographic correlates of spirituality for Black emerging adults from different ethnic groups (i.e., African American vs. Black Caribbean). Data from the National Survey of American Life was used to identify the demographic correlates of 2 indicators of spirituality (e.g., self-rated spirituality and subjective spirituality) for 802 African American and 428 Black Caribbean emerging adults using linear regression. For African Americans, being a woman predicted both greater self-rated spirituality and subjective spirituality. However, among Black Caribbeans men rated spirituality higher in importance than women. African Americans who reported higher educational attainment tended to report higher levels of self-rated spirituality and subjective spirituality. Romantic status for Black Caribbeans, whether they had no romantic involvement or a current romantic partner, was associated with lower self-ratings of spirituality. Unmarried cohabitating individuals in both ethnic groups tended to report lower levels of self-related spirituality. Unemployment for Black Caribbeans was associated with lower subjective spirituality. Findings are of interest to those who serve and work with Black emerging adults.

Social Isolation, Self-Rated Health, and Self-Rated Oral Health among African Americans.

Social isolation is associated with worse health; however, few studies have examined the health effects of isolation among African Americans. The purpose of this study is to evaluate associations between social isolation and self-rated physical and oral health from the National Survey of American Life, a nationally representative sample of African Americans. Social isolation was operationalized to reflect both objective isolation (lack of contact) and subjective isolation (lack of emotional closeness). Self-rated physical and oral health were regressed on objective and subjective isolation while controlling for marital status, gender, age, family income, education, and health behaviors. Poorer self-rated physical health was associated with objective isolation, while poorer self-rated oral health was associated with subjective isolation. This study contributes to the small literature of the impact of social isolation on health among African Americans; furthermore, it is the first to examine the relationship between isolation and self-rated oral health in this population.

Racial/ethnic differences in the association between transgender-related U.S. state policies and self-rated health of transgender women.

BACKGROUND: Policy protections for transgender adults in the United States are consistently associated with positive health outcomes. However, studies over-represent non-Latinx White transgender people and obscure variation in policies' intended goals. This study examined racial differences in the relationship between transgender-related policies and transgender women's self-rated health. Guided by Critical Race Theory, we hypothesized that policies conferring access to resources (e.g., healthcare) would be associated with better self-rated health among all participants while policies signifying equality (e.g., nondiscrimination laws) would be associated with better self-rated health only for White participants. METHODS: Using cross-sectional data collected between March 2018-December 2020 from 1566 transgender women, we analyzed 7 state-level 'access policies,' 5 'equality policies,' and sum indices of each. Participants represented 29 states, and 54.7% were categorized as people of color. We fit a series of multilevel ordinal regression models predicting self-rated health by each policy. Multivariate models were adjusted for relevant covariates at the individual- and state-level. We then tested moderation by race/ethnicity using interaction terms and generated stratified predicted probability plots. RESULTS: In bivariate models, 4 access policies, 2 equality policies, and both indices were associated with better self-rated health, but associations did not persist in adjusted models. Results from the multivariable models including interaction terms indicated that policies concerning private insurance coverage of gender-affirming care, private insurance nondiscrimination, credit nondiscrimination, and both indices were statistically significantly associated with better self-rated health for White participants and worse self-rated health for participants of color. CONCLUSIONS: The policies included in this analysis do not mitigate racism's effects on access to resources, indicating they may be less impactful for transgender women of color than White transgender women. Future research and policy advocacy efforts promoting transgender women's health must center racial equity as well as transgender people of color's priorities.

The role of subjective, interpersonal, and structural social isolation in 12-month and lifetime anxiety disorders.

BACKGROUND: Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent psychiatric conditions worldwide, and the incidence of anxiety disorders among adults in the U.S. have increased over the last decade. Anxiety disorders can have debilitating effects on multiple areas of functioning and quality of life. Recently, social isolation has emerged as an important public health problem associated with worse health and well-being outcomes. Research on the connection between social isolation and mental health has found that multiple dimensions of social isolation may negatively impact mental health, but few inquiries have focused on the association between social isolation and anxiety. This study examined the relationships between multiple dimensions of social isolation and anxiety disorders in a nationally representative sample of adults aged 18 and older. METHODS: The sample includes 6082 individuals from the National Survey of American Life. This study examined whether three different dimensions of social isolation-subjective, interpersonal, and structural-were associated with 12-month and lifetime anxiety disorders (any anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder (PD), social anxiety disorder (SAD), and agoraphobia (AG). Logistic regressions were used to test the associations between the three social isolation variables and the anxiety outcomes. RESULTS: This study found that of the three dimensions of social isolation, subjective isolation was most consistently related to both lifetime and 12-month anxiety disorders. Those who were subjectively isolated had increased odds of meeting criteria for any anxiety disorder, PTSD, GAD, PD, and AG over the past 12 months and throughout their lifetimes. Structural isolation was negatively associated with lifetime and 12-month AG. CONCLUSIONS: Public health approaches should include mental health and primary care providers and need to target social isolation, especially subjective isolation, which may be key in preventing anxiety disorders and the worsening of anxiety disorders. Future public health research is needed on how and in what ways the differing dimensions of social isolation impact mental health.

Inequities in the distribution of adverse childhood experiences and their association with health among transgender people of color.

BACKGROUND: Racism and cisgenderism expose transgender people of color to adversity across the life course. However, little is known about the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in this population or their association with health in comparison to other groups. OBJECTIVE: Guided by the structural trauma framework, we examined race/ethnicity/gender group differences in the prevalence of ACEs and their association with adult mental and physical health. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: 2019-2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey. METHODS: Transgender participants (n = 551) were matched with two cisgender men (n = 1102) and two cisgender women (n = 1102) on key covariates. We compared age-adjusted predicted probabilities of nine ACEs by race/ethnicity/gender group. We then fit adjusted logistic regression models predicting poor mental and physical health by each ACE and compared marginal effects between groups. RESULTS: Transgender people of color had higher age-adjusted probabilities of six ACEs than at least one other group; for example, household incarceration was 0.16 (95 % CI: 0.11-0.22) compared to 0.09 (95 % CI: 0.06-0.13) for cisgender men of color (p = 0.032). The relationship between five ACEs and poor mental health was greater for transgender people of color than at least one other group. For instance, the marginal effect of household alcoholism on poor mental health was 0.28 (95 % CI: 0.11-0.45) compared to 0.07 (0.01-0.14) for White cisgender men (p = 0.031). There were no statistically significant differences regarding effects on poor physical health. CONCLUSIONS: ACEs inequitably impact transgender people of color, reflecting the need to restructure the interlocking systems that drive adversity among transgender children of color and exacerbate ACEs' health effects among adults.

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).

The Return of Race Science and Why It Matters for Family Science.

Race science attributes differences in human populations to biology and genetics that reflect a hierarchy of human races with whiteness at its pinnacle. This article examining the history of race science and current family scholarship and practice contends that race science matters for family science. We discuss 1) white supremacy, the development of race science, and the eugenics movement in the U.S.; 2) racism, racialized experiences, and oppression of Black families in the U.S.; 3) the construction of whiteness in family science and re-envisioning theories to make racism's impact visible; 4) racial reckonings for professional organizations; and 5) why race science matters for family science and a call to action. Clarity about the meaning of race can ensure that family science addresses white supremacy and racism embedded in scholarship, training, and practice, and promotes work that supports the well-being of families that are most vulnerable and marginalized.

Racial/Ethnic Variation in Family Support: African Americans, Black Caribbeans and Non-Latino Whites.

Objective: This study examined racial and ethnic differences in the receipt and provision of instrumental family support. Background: Extended families provide significant levels of emotional and instrumental support across the life course. Despite their importance, extended family relationships and the assistance they provide are largely neglected in the literature. Further, questions remain concerning cultural variation in family support relationships and inconsistent findings on racial differences in family support in prior investigations. Method: This study relied on data from the National Survey of American Life-Reinterview (n=3,483) to investigate the provision and receipt of instrumental support from extended family among African Americans, Black Caribbeans, and non-Latino Whites and within high- and low-income categories for each group. Eight key measures of instrumental family support are examined: receiving and providing transportation, help with chores, financial assistance, and help during an illness. Results: African Americans and Black Caribbeans share similar profiles of providing and receiving instrumental family support. Both populations receive and provide assistance more frequently than do non-Latino Whites. Similarly, analyses stratified by income indicated that for low-income and high-income groups, African American and Black Caribbeans are similar to one another, and at each income category, both groups received and provided support more frequently than non-Latino Whites. Conclusion: Study findings are discussed in relation to conceptual and methodological differences in assessing Black-White differences across studies of family support. Attention to these issues and the specific contexts for receiving/providing family support (emergency vs. routine; intergenerational vs. extended) will help clarify inconsistent findings across studies.

Religious Involvement and DSM-IV Anxiety Disorders Among African-Americans.

ABSTRACT: This study examined the relationship between eight measures of religious involvement and five anxiety disorders among a nationally representative sample of African-Americans ( N = 3403). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition , World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview was used to assess 12-month and lifetime prevalence for each disorder. Logistic regression indicated weekly service attendance was inversely associated with 12-month and lifetime panic disorder, lifetime agoraphobia, and 12-month and lifetime posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Prayer was inversely associated with 12-month agoraphobia, 12-month social phobia, and lifetime PTSD. Listening to religious radio and looking to God for strength were also inversely related to, respectively, 12-month and lifetime panic disorder. Conversely, reading religious materials was positively associated with 12-month panic disorder, 12-month agoraphobia, lifetime PTSD, and lifetime generalized anxiety disorder. The results are discussed in light of conceptual models that specify multiple and sometimes divergent pathways through which religion impacts health, and suggestions for clinicians addressing anxiety disorders are delineated.

Fictive Kin Networks among African Americans, Black Caribbeans, and Non-Latino Whites.

Using data from the National Survey of American Life, we investigated the social and demographic correlates of fictive kin network involvement among African Americans, Black Caribbeans, and non-Latino Whites. Specifically, we examined the factors shaping whether respondents have fictive kin, the number of fictive present kin in their networks, and the frequency with which they received support from fictive kin. Eighty-seven percent of respondents had a fictive kin relationship, the average network size was 7.5, and 61% of participants routinely received fictive kin support. Affective closeness and contact with family, friends, and church members were positively associated with fictive kin relations. Age, region, income and marital and parental status were related to fictive kin network involvement, though these associations varied by race/ethnicity. Collectively, findings indicate that fictive kin ties extend beyond marginalized communities, and they operate as a means to strengthen family bonds, rather than substitute for family deficits.

The Impact of Traumatic Events on Mental Health Among Older African American and Black Caribbean Adults.

Objectives: This study examined the frequency and impact of traumatic events on the mental health of older African American and Black Caribbean adults. Methods: The current study used data from the National Survey of American Life of 1,135 African American and 426 Black Caribbean adults aged 50 and older. Analysis examined the impact of traumatic events on both positive (i.e., happiness and life satisfaction) and negative (i.e., depressive symptoms, psychological distress, and 12-month anti-depressant use) domains of mental health. Results: Findings indicate that approximately 80% of older African Americans and Black Caribbeans reported experiencing a traumatic event at some point in their lifetime. Among African Americans assaultive violence was associated with more depressive symptoms, lower levels of life satisfaction, and lower levels of happiness. This was not the case among Black Caribbeans. Conclusions: These findings provide preliminary insight in mental health outcomes for older African American and Black Caribbean adults.

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Major and Everyday Discrimination Among Older Adults: African Americans, Black Caribbeans, and Non-Latino Whites.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined differences in major and everyday discrimination between African Americans, Black Caribbeans, and non-Latino White older adults. METHODS: Data are taken from the National Survey of American Life. Measures of major (e.g., unfairly fired and harassed by police) and everyday (e.g., treated with less courtesy, insulted, and followed in stores) discrimination were examined. RESULTS: Both African Americans and Black Caribbeans reported more major and everyday discrimination than non-Latino Whites. However, there were no significant differences between African Americans and Whites with regards to being fired, neighbors making life difficult and receiving poor service. There were no significant differences between African Americans and Black Caribbeans in major or everyday discrimination. DISCUSSION: The discussion notes the importance of examining racial as well as within group ethnic differences within the Black American population in the types of discrimination. It also notes the importance of examining indicators of both major and everyday discrimination.

Church-Based Emotional Support and Negative Interactions Among Older African Americans and Black Caribbeans.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigates church-based informal social support among older African Americans and Black Caribbeans. In particular, we examine the correlates of receiving emotional support as well as negative interactions (e.g., criticisms) from church members. METHODS: The analysis is based on the older African American (n = 829) and Black Caribbean (n = 271) subsample of the National Survey of American Life. The analysis utilizes multiple group structural equation modeling (SEM) to test a model of church support networks. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between older African Americans and older Black Caribbeans in the frequency of service attendance, contact with church members (seeing, writing, talking), emotional support from church members, or negative interactions with church members. However, a comparison of SEM analysis indicates that the number and pattern of relationships are different. For instance, among African Americans church attendance was associated with emotional support, but among Black Caribbeans attendance did not have a direct or indirect effect on emotional support. Our findings also indicate that among older African Americans, women attend religious services more frequently and both receive emotional support and engage in negative interactions with church members more frequently than men. Among Black Caribbeans, however, men attend religious services less frequently than women but also have more negative interactions with church members. DISCUSSION: For both African American and Black Caribbean older adults, church members are an important element of their social support networks. Our analysis also underscores the importance of contact with church members for receiving emotional support for both populations.

The Intersection of Pain Outcomes and Social Isolation Among African Americans.

There is increasing evidence suggesting the influence social isolation has on health outcomes and mental well-being. Chronic medical conditions, such as pain, have been shown to impact social relationships and isolation among majority populations, but there is little evidence documenting this relationship among African Americans. To address this lack of scholarly work, the current study aimed to examine subjective and objective social isolation, pain interference with daily life, and problems with pain in a sample of African American adults 18 + years of age. Taken from the National Survey of American Life: Coping with Stress in the 21st Century (NSAL), results showed that participants who were objectively isolated from family only were more likely to have a chronic health problem that was associated with increased pain. Data further showed that those reporting subjective isolation from both family and friends experienced greater interference from pain than those who were not isolated from family and friends. Findings from this study acknowledge a larger issue that addresses the impact social isolation has on health, quality of life, and general well-being. Recognizing the influence of such may allow systems to acknowledge the determinants that perpetuate social isolation, while still recognizing the needs of marginalized groups.

Taking Diversity Seriously: Within-Group Heterogeneity in African American Extended Family Support Networks.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the correlates of involvement in extended family social support networks among African Americans. BACKGROUND: Previous literature has documented the importance of informal social support from extended family members for the African American population. Most research has investigated black-white differences in network involvement or has focused on impoverished African American families. Both approaches conceal important within-group variation in participation among the total African American population. METHOD: This study relied on nationally representative data from the African American sub-sample of the National Survey of American Life (n=3,538). It employed ordinary least squares regression analysis to examine the sociodemographic and family factors that are associated with four key measures of involvement in extended family support networks: receiving and providing extended family support, frequency of family contact, and degree of subjective closeness. RESULTS: African Americans routinely interacted with members of their family, displayed a high degree of family closeness, and exchanged support fairly frequently. Findings also revealed significant variation in network involvement by sociodemographic characteristics: women, younger adults, and Southerners were typically most involved; individuals who experienced greater material hardship, were previously incarcerated, or served in the military reported less involvement. Results also showed that family closeness and family contact were particularly salient factors shaping the extent to which network members engaged in support exchanges. CONCLUSION: The magnitude of within-group heterogeneity in network involvement underscores the importance of considering issues of intragroup diversity in the developing literature on African American extended family networks.

Correlates of Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms Among Black Caribbean Americans.

Despite the rapid growth of the Black Caribbean population in the United States, we know little about the presentation and prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) among these groups. This study examines the demographic correlates and the effect of racial discrimination on OCD symptoms among a nationally-representative sample of Black Caribbean and African American adults (n = 5,191). Drawing on the Composite International Diagnostic Interview Short Form (CIDI-SF) for OCD, we examine two types of obsessions (harm and contamination) and four types of compulsions (repeating, washing, ordering, and counting). There we no significant differences between Black Caribbeans and African Americans in obsessions and compulsions. Analysis among Black Caribbeans found that compared with Jamaican and Trinidadian Americans, Haitian American individuals reported the fewest number of obsessions and compulsions. We show that Black Caribbean Americans with lower income, lower self-rated physical and mental health, and more experiences with racial discrimination report higher levels of OCD. More specifically, racial discrimination was associated with contamination and harm obsessions, as well as washing and repeating compulsions. Our findings highlight the need to consider specific domains of OCD relative to Black Caribbeans, and the relationship between social and demographic variables on symptomology.

Older African American, Black Caribbean, and Non-Latino White Fictive Kin Relationships.

Fictive kin are individuals who are not related biologically or legally family members but are conferred all of the expectations, obligations, norms, and behaviors that are typically associated with family members. Early ethnographic and qualitative studies on impoverished African Americans depicted fictive kinship as a strategy of necessity used by urban poor Blacks to share scarce resources. More recent surveys of fictive kin relationships based on nationally representative samples of African Americans establish that fictive kinship occur across a range of social and economic circumstances. However, fictive kin relationships among African Americans older adults remains an understudied area. The current study explores fictive kinship relationships (having fictive kin and receiving support from fictive kin) among African American, Black Caribbean, and non-Hispanic white older adults using data from the National Survey of American Life. We examined race/ethnicity and gender differences, as well as demographic and social network correlates. Findings showed that having and receiving support from fictive kin varied across race, ethnicity and gender. African Americans were more likely to have fictive kin than were non-Hispanic whites, but there were no overall race/ethnic differences in receiving support from fictive kin. Gender specific findings showed that Black Caribbean women received fictive kin support more frequently than African American and non-Hispanic white women. Finally, demographic and social network correlates of fictive kin varied by race and ethnicity and connections with social networks (family, friend, church members) were positively associated with having and receiving support from fictive kin.

African Americans' and Black Caribbeans' Religious Coping for Psychiatric Disorders.

This study investigates the use of religious coping among African Americans and Black Caribbeans with 12-month DSM-IV psychiatric disorders. Data from the National Survey of American Life is used to examine three indicators of religious coping: 1) using prayer and other spiritual practices for mental health problems, 2) the importance of prayer in stressful situations, and 3) looking to God for strength. Three out of four respondents who had a mental health problem reported using prayer as a source of coping. Agoraphobia and drug abuse disorder were associated with the importance of prayer during stress. Individuals with generalized anxiety disorder were more likely to report that prayer was important during stressful experiences and that they looked to God for strength. These findings contribute to the limited, but growing body of research on the ways that African Americans and Black Caribbeans cope with psychiatric disorders.

Older Black Americans During COVID-19: Race and Age Double Jeopardy.

The concept of "double jeopardy"-being both older and Black-describes how racism and ageism together shape higher risks for coronavirus exposure, COVID-19 disease, and poor health outcomes for older Black adults. Black people and older adults are the two groups most affected by COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. Double jeopardy, as a race- and age-informed analysis, demonstrates how Black race and older age are associated with practices and policies that shape key life circumstances (e.g., racial residential segregation, family and household composition) and resources in ways that embody elevated risk for COVID-19. The concept of double jeopardy underscores long-standing race- and age-based inequities and social vulnerabilities that produce devastating COVID-19 related deaths and injuries for older Black adults. Developing policies and actions that address race- and age-based inequities and social vulnerabilities can lower risks and enhance protective factors to ensure the health of older Black Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.