Financial Hardship and Sleep Quality Among Black American Women With and Without Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE: To compare dimensions of financial hardship and self-reported sleep quality among Black women with versus without systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: Participants were 402 Black women (50% with validated diagnosis of SLE) living in Georgia between 2017 and 2020. Black women with SLE were recruited from a population-based cohort established in Atlanta, and Black women without SLE were recruited to be of comparable age and from the same geographic areas as SLE women. Financial hardship was measured using three different scales: financial adjustments, financial setbacks, and financial strain. Sleep was assessed continuously using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scale. Each dimension of financial hardship was analyzed separately in SLE-stratified multivariable linear regression models and adjusted by sociodemographic and health status factors. RESULTS: Dimensions of financial hardship were similarly distributed across the two groups. Sleep quality was worse in Black women with, versus without, SLE (p < .001). Among Black women with SLE, financial adjustment was positively associated with a 0.40-unit increase in poor sleep quality (95% CI = 0.12-0.67, p = .005). When accounting for cognitive depressive symptoms, financial setbacks and strain were somewhat attenuated for Black women with SLE. Overall, no associations between financial hardships and sleep quality were observed for the women without SLE. CONCLUSIONS: Black women with SLE who experience financial hardships may be more at risk for poor sleep quality than Black women without SLE. Economic interventions targeting this population may help improve their overall health and quality of life.

Are There Regional Differences in Mental Health among Black Americans? An Exploration of Explanatory Mechanisms.

Using data from the National Survey of American Life (NSAL) (2001-2003), we examine regional differences in past-year anxiety disorder and past-year major depressive episodes among a geographically diverse sample of Black Americans (N = 3,672). We find that Black Americans residing in the South experience a mental health advantage over Black Americans living in other parts of the country, experiencing lower rates of both anxiety disorder and past-year major depression. We also examine the extent to which stress exposure, religious involvement, and neighborhood contexts help explain any regional differences. We find that stress exposure helps to explain much of the differences observed across regions, while religious involvement and neighborhood contexts help explain observed regional differences to a lesser extent. These findings highlight the importance of considering regional contexts in understanding intra-racial differences in mental health.

The association between Superwoman schema and subjective sleep quality among Black women.

OBJECTIVES: Similar to women overall, Black women are socialized to be communal and "self-sacrificing," but unlike women from other racial/ethnic backgrounds, Black women are also socialized to be "strong" and "invulnerable." This phenomenon is labeled Superwoman schema. This study examined associations between Superwoman schema endorsement and subjective sleep quality. METHODS: Participants included 405 Black women (ages 30-46). Superwoman schema was measured using a 35-item scale capturing five dimensions: obligation to present strength, suppress emotions, resistance to vulnerability, motivation to succeed, and obligation to help others. Superwoman schema overall and the five dimensions/subscales were analyzed. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to investigate overall subjective sleep quality (range: 0-19), poor sleep quality (PSQI >5), and specific sleep domains (eg, sleep duration, sleep disturbances). We fit linear and binary logistic regression models, adjusting for health-related and sociodemographic factors. RESULTS: Superwoman schema dimension obligation to help others was associated with lower overall subjective sleep quality (ß: .81, 95%CI=0.29, 1.32) and poor sleep quality (OR: 1.55, 95%CI=1.10, 2.19), as well as bad subjective sleep quality (OR: 1.76, 95%CI=1.18, 2.66), sleep disturbances (ß: .73, 95%CI =0.07, 1.41), and daytime sleepiness (OR: 2.01, 95%CI=1.25, 3.26). Suppress emotions (OR: 1.41, 95%CI=1.01, 1.99) was associated with poor subjective sleep quality. Superwoman schema overall was associated with daytime sleepiness (OR: 2.01, 95%CI=1.06, 3.82). CONCLUSION: Superwoman schema endorsement, especially obligation to help others and suppress emotions, may be important psychosocial risk factors for Black women's sleep health.

Financial responsibility, financial context, and ambulatory blood pressure in early middle-aged African-American women.

BACKGROUND: African-American women have excess rates of elevated blood pressure (BP) and hypertension compared to women of all other racial/ethnic backgrounds. Several researchers have speculated that race and gender-related socioeconomic status (SES) stressors might play a role. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between a novel SES-related stressor highly salient among African-American women, financial responsibility for one's household, and 48-h ambulatory BP. We further examined whether aspects related to African-American women's financial context (e.g., single parenthood, household income, marital status) played a role. METHODS: Participants were N = 345 employed, healthy African-American women aged 30-46 from diverse SES backgrounds who underwent 48-h ambulatory BP monitoring. Linear regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between self-reported financial responsibility and daytime and nighttime BP, adjusting for age, SES and other sociodemographics, cardiovascular risk factors, financial strain and depressive symptoms. Interactions between financial responsibility and single parenthood, household income, and marital/partnered status were tested. RESULTS: In age-adjusted analyses, reporting financial responsibility was associated with higher daytime systolic (ß = 4.42, S.E. = 1.36, p = 0.0013), and diastolic (ß = 2.82, S.E. = 0.98, p = 0.004) BP. Associations persisted in fully adjusted models. Significant associations were also observed for nighttime systolic and diastolic BP. There were no significant interactions with single parenthood, household income, nor marital/partnered status. CONCLUSION: Having primary responsibility for one's household may be an important driver of BP in early middle-aged African-American women, independent of SES, financial strain, and across a range of financial contexts. Future studies examining prospective associations are needed, and policy interventions targeting structural factors contributing to financial responsibility in African-American women may be warranted.

Superwoman Schema and self-rated health in black women: Is socioeconomic status a moderator?

BACKGROUND: The Superwoman Schema (SWS) construct elucidates Black women's socialization to be strong, suppress their emotions, resist vulnerability, succeed despite limited resources, and help others at their own expense. Drawing from intersectionality and social psychological research on self-schemas, this study examined the extent to which SWS was associated with Black women's self-rated health. We also investigated whether socioeconomic status (SES) moderated the association between SWS, its five dimensions, and self-rated health. METHODS: Data were from the Mechanisms Underlying Stress and Emotions (MUSE) in African-American Women's Health Study, a cohort of African American self-identified women. SWS was assessed using Giscombé's 35-item Superwoman Schema Scale. Socioeconomic status was measured by household income and educational attainment. Ordered logistic regression models were used and statistical interactions were run to test for moderation (N = 408). RESULTS: First, SWS dimension "obligation to help others" was associated with worse self-rated health (p < .05). Second, household income, but not education, moderated the association between SWS and self-rated health (p < .05): SWS overall was associated with worse self-rated health among higher income women but better self-rated health among lower income women. Third, income moderated the association between SWS dimension "obligation to present an image of strength" and self-rated health (p < .05): presenting strength was associated with better self-rated health for lower income women only. Fourth, moderation results revealed that SWS dimension "obligation to help others" was inversely associated with self-rated health particularly among higher income women. CONCLUSIONS: Findings speak to the complex interplay between SES and SWS dimensions as they relate to Black women's perceived health.

Dual pandemics? Assessing associations between area racism, COVID-19 case rates, and mental health among U.S. adults.

Mental health worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially among racially minoritized adults. Population-level racial attitudes, or area racism, may be associated with mental health, particularly during this historical moment, but this possibility has not been tested in prior research. In the present study, we use nationally representative data from the Household Pulse Survey (April-October 2020) to document associations between area racism and depression/anxiety in the United States among non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic Asian, Hispanic, non-Hispanic White, and other racial/ethnic minority adults. We further consider the national COVID-19 case rate to examine an additional macro-level stressor. Findings indicate that area racism was positively associated with depression and/or anxiety for Black, Hispanic, White, and other racial/ethnic minority adults. Moreover, COVID-19 cases posed an additional, independent mental health threat for most groups. This study points to area racism as a macro-level stressor and an antecedent of mental health for racially diverse groups of Americans.

Network stressors, personal stressors, and ambulatory blood pressure in African-American women-Does superwoman schema play a role?

OBJECTIVE: Life stressors have been linked to cardiovascular risk; however, studies typically focus on stressors that directly impact the individual, that is, personal stressors. Research suggests that women, particularly African-American women, may be more vulnerable to network stressors that involve family members and friends-potentially due to norms around needing to be a "Superwoman." Yet few studies have examined these phenomena. METHOD: We examined associations between network, versus personal, stressors, and elevated blood pressure (BP) in N = 392 African-American women aged 30-46. Questionnaire-assessed negative life events were classified into upsetting network or personal stressors. BP was assessed in clinic and via 48-hr ambulatory monitoring. Linear and logistic regression models examined associations between type of stressors and 48-hr daytime and nighttime systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP), and sustained hypertension after adjusting for relevant covariates. Interactions with questionnaire-assessed superwoman schema (SWS) were tested in exploratory analyses. RESULTS: In age and sociodemographic-adjusted models, network stressors were significantly associated with daytime SBP, ß (SE) = 2.01 (0.51), p ≤ .0001, and DBP, ß (SE) = 1.59 (0.37), p ≤ .0001, but personal stressors were not (p values > .10). Associations persisted after adjustment for cardiovascular and psychosocial risk factors. Patterns were similar for nighttime BP and sustained hypertension. There were no interactions with SWS. CONCLUSIONS: Network, but not personal, stressors were associated with elevated rates of daytime SBP and DBP, as well as sustained hypertension in African-American women, irrespective of SWS endorsement. Future research is needed to determine whether stress-management interventions focused on network stressors might impact BP in this high-risk population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Trajectories of depressive symptoms among older African Americans: the influence of neighborhood characteristics and gender.

OBJECTIVES: Focusing on older African Americans, this study aims to (1) identify 9-year trajectories of depressive symptoms, (2) examine the association between baseline neighborhood characteristics (i.e., social cohesion and physical disadvantage) and trajectories of depressive symptoms, and (3) test whether the effects of neighborhood characteristics on depressive symptoms trajectories differ by gender. METHODS: Data came from the National Health and Aging Trend Study. Older African Americans at baseline were selected (N = 1662) and followed up for eight rounds. Depressive symptom trajectories were estimated using group-based trajectory modeling. Weighted multinomial logistic regressions were conducted. RESULTS: Three trajectories of depressive symptoms were identified: "persistently low," "moderate and increasing," and "high and decreasing" (Objective 1). Objective 2 and 3 were partially supported. Specifically, high perceived neighborhood social cohesion was associated with a lower relative risk of being on the "moderate and increasing" versus the "persistently low" trajectory (RRR = 0.64, p < 0.01). The association between neighborhood physical disadvantage and depressive symptom trajectories was stronger among older African American men compared to women. CONCLUSIONS: High levels of neighborhood social cohesion may protect against increasing depressive symptoms in older African Americans. Compared to women, older African American men may be more vulnerable to negative mental health effects of neighborhood physical disadvantage.

Intersectional Approaches to Minority Aging Research.

Purpose of Review: Growing racial/ethnic diversity among America's older adults necessitates additional research specifically focused on health and well-being among aging minoritized populations. Although Black and Latinx adults in the USA tend to face worse health outcomes as they age, substantial evidence points to unexpected health patterns (e.g., the race paradox in mental health, the Latino health paradox) that challenge our understanding of health and aging among these populations. In this review, we demonstrate the value of intersectionality theory for clarifying these health patterns and highlight the ways that intersectionality has been applied to minority aging research. To advance the field, we also make several recommendations for incorporating intersectional approaches in future scholarship on minority aging. Recent Findings: Scholars have applied intersectional approaches to health and aging to unravel how social statuses and social conditions, such as race, ethnicity, gender, nativity, incarceration history, geographic region, and age, produce distinct shared experiences that shape health trajectories through multiple mechanisms. Summary: We highlight common intersectional approaches used in minority aging research and underscore the value of this perspective for elucidating the complex, and often unexpected, health patterns of aging minoritized populations. We identify several key lessons and propose recommendations to advance scholarship on minority aging.

Extreme racism-related events and poor sleep in African-American women.

RATIONALE: Much of the research linking racism-related stressors to poor health has focused on fairly non-violent forms of racism that directly impact individuals under study. Exposure to particularly extreme and/or violent racist events are increasingly visible via smartphone recordings and social media, with consistent anecdotal reports of the effects of seeing and hearing about these events on sleep among minorities who racially identify with the victims. OBJECTIVE: This study examines whether exposure to direct and vicarious racism-related events (RREs), including more extreme events, are associated with sleep quality. Additionally, we examine effects of less and more violent direct RREs and vicarious RREs witnessed in person and via social media. METHODS: Among 422 African-American women, we assessed exposure to RREs using a modified version of the Race-Related Events Scale and assessed sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Linear regression analyses were used to model continuous global sleep. RESULTS: Direct (ß = 0.24 [95% CI: 0.13, 0.35]) RREs were associated with worse continuous global sleep quality scores in analyses adjusted for sociodemographics and risk factors for poor sleep. More violent direct RREs (ß = 0.59 [95% CI: 0.30, 0.89]) had stronger associations with poor sleep quality than less violent direct RREs (ß = 0.25 [95% CI: 0.11, 0.40]). Vicarious RREs overall (ß = 0.04 [95% CI: 0.14, 0.21]) and those witnessed via social media (ß = -0.07 [95% CI: 0.29, 0.14]) were not associated with global sleep quality; conversely, vicarious RREs witnessed in person were (ß = 0.52 [95% CI: 0.21, 0.83]). CONCLUSION: Extreme, direct experiences of racism, particularly those that are violent in nature, are associated with poor sleep quality. However, extreme vicarious experiences are not-- unless witnessed in person.

Attributions for Everyday Discrimination and All-Cause Mortality Risk Among Older Black Women: A Latent Class Analysis Approach.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study examined the relationship between number of attributed reasons for everyday discrimination and all-cause mortality risk, developed latent classes of discrimination attribution, and assessed whether these latent classes were related to all-cause mortality risk among U.S. older Black women. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHOD: Participants were from the 2006 and 2008 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (N = 1,133; 335 deaths). Vital status was collected through the National Death Index through 2013 and key informant reports through 2019. Latent class analyses were conducted on discrimination attributions. Weighted Cox proportional hazards model was used to predict all-cause mortality. Analyses controlled for demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, and health. RESULTS: Reporting greater attributions for everyday discrimination was associated with higher mortality risk (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.117; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.038-1.202; p < .01), controlling for demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, and health as well as health behaviors. A 4-class solution of the latent class analysis specified the following attribution classes: No/Low Attribution; Ancestry/Gender/Race/Age; Age/Physical Disability; High on All Attributions. When compared to the No/Low Attribution class, membership in the High on All Attributions class was associated with greater mortality risk (HR = 2.809; CI: 1.458-5.412; p < .01). DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Findings underscore the importance of everyday discrimination experiences from multiple sources in shaping all-cause mortality risk among older Black women. Accordingly, this study problematizes the homogenization of Black women in aging research and suggests the need for health interventions that consider Black women's multiplicity of social statuses.

Are Distressed Black Women Also Depressed? Implications for a Mental Health Paradox.

PURPOSE: Recent research suggests the determinants of and links between psychological distress and psychiatric disorder are distinct among Black Americans. Yet, these associations have not been explored among Black women, despite the unique social experiences, risks, and mental health patterns they face. The present study assessed the sociodemographic and psychosocial determinants of distress and disorder and evaluated the distress-disorder association, including whether it was conditional on sociodemographic and psychosocial characteristics among Black women. METHODS: Data were from 328 Black women in the Nashville Stress and Health Study, a cross-sectional community epidemiologic survey of Blacks and Whites in Nashville, Tennessee, and was used to assess the correlates of distress (CES-D depressive symptoms scale) and major depressive disorder (MDD; based on the CIDI). Multinomial logistic regression models estimated the extent to which greater distress was associated with higher risk of "chronic" or "resolved MDD". RESULTS: Stress exposure and marital status were associated with greater distress, while stress exposure and childhood SES were associated with elevated disorder risk. Although increased distress was associated with greater disorder risk, significant interactions indicated these associations depend on differences in age and adult socioeconomic status within this population. CONCLUSIONS: This study identifies distinct correlates of distress and disorder and shows that the distress-disorder association varies among subgroups of Black women. Results have important implications for public health research and practice, as they highlight the factors that matter most for the mental health outcomes of Black women.

Gendered Racial Microaggressions and Black Women's Sleep Health.

Gendered racial microaggressions reflect historical and contemporary gendered racism that Black women encounter. Although gendered racial microaggressions are related to psychological outcomes, it is unclear if such experiences are related to sleep health. Moreover, the health effects of gendered racial microaggressions dimensions are rarely investigated. Using a cohort of Black women (N = 400), this study employs an intracategorical intersectional approach to (1) investigate the association between gendered racial microaggressions and sleep health, (2) assess whether gendered racial microaggressions dimensions are related to sleep health, and (3) examine whether the gendered racial microaggressions-sleep health association persists after accounting for depressive symptoms and worry. Gendered racial microaggressions were associated with poor sleep quality overall and four specific domains: subjective sleep quality, latency, disturbance, and daytime sleepiness. Two gendered racial microaggressions dimensions were especially detrimental for sleep: assumptions of beauty/sexual objectification and feeling silenced and marginalized. After accounting for mental health, the effect of gendered racial microaggressions on sleep was reduced by 47 percent. Future research implications are discussed.

Do Discrimination and Negative Interactions with Family Explain the Relationship between Interracial Relationship Status and Mental Disorder?

Using the stress process model, the authors investigate whether individuals in interracial relationships experience greater risk for past-year mood and anxiety disorder compared with their same-race relationship counterparts. The authors also assess interracial relationship status differences in external stressors (i.e., discrimination and negative interactions with family) and whether stress exposure explains mental disorder differences between individuals in interracial versus same-race romantic partnerships. Data are from the National Survey of American Life (2001-2003). Results show that individuals in interracial relationships are at greater risk for anxiety disorder (but not mood disorder) relative to those in same-race relationships. Interracially partnered individuals also report more discrimination from the public and greater negative interactions with family. External stressors partially explain the higher risk for anxiety disorder among individuals in interracial partnerships. This study addresses a void in the literature on discrimination, family relationships, and health for the growing population of individuals in interracial unions.

An Intersectional Analysis of Women's Social Role Engagement and Mental Health.

Objective: Guided by role theory and the intersectionality framework, this study assesses whether social role volume, role type, and role configuration influence the mental health of Non-Latina White, African American, Afro-Caribbean, Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Chinese, Filipina, and Vietnamese American women. Background: Contemporary shifts in the primary roles (i.e., worker, spouse, parent) women occupy and in the ethnic composition of the U.S. necessitate a re-examination of how roles impact U.S. women's mental health. Moreover, family member and friend roles are relatively understudied. Method: Drawing data from the nationally representative Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys (CPES) (N=7370), ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analysis is used to assess the relationship between role volume, role type, role configuration, and mental health for women across nine ethnic groups. We report ethnicity-stratified models. Results: On one hand, role accumulation was psychologically beneficial for Non-Latina White, African American, Puerto Rican, and Chinese women. On the other hand, the psychological benefits of social roles diminished after accumulating three social roles for Cuban, Mexican, and Filipina women. The psychological influence of specific roles and role configurations for women was dependent on ethnicity. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the powerful impact of ethnicity on social role engagement as well as the influence of such roles on women's psychological health.

The Intersecting Consequences of Race-Gender Health Disparities on Workforce Engagement for Older Workers: An Examination of Physical and Mental Health.

The dramatic growth of older adults' labor participation over the past 25 years, including women and people of color, is reshaping the American labor force. The current study contributes new knowledge concerning why individuals over age 50 years may be working longer despite negative impacts of deteriorating physical and mental health associated with aging. Inquiries regarding who continues to work and why can be answered, in part, by addressing how workforce engagement and health are shaped by notable social inequities along the dimensions of age, race, and gender. Guided by cumulative advantage/disadvantage and intersectionality frameworks, we examine whether having multiple chronic conditions (MCC)-two or more physical conditions-and depression affect workforce participation. Using multinomial logistic regression models, we analyze the 2014-2016 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (N = 4250). Findings reveal that having multiple chronic illnesses increase the likelihood of labor force exit, especially among workers who also have depression. We also discover intersectional nuances which illuminate complex race-gender dynamics related to health and work processes in later life. We conclude with recommendations for workplace policy that promote the retention of older workers with chronic illness and depression and aim to decrease disparities in older workers' work engagement.

Vicarious Experiences of Major Discrimination and Psychological Distress among Black Men and Women.

Racism-related stress frameworks posit that the discriminatory experiences of one's loved ones may threaten one's well-being, but relatively few studies have examined how they may impact mental health beyond childhood and adolescence. Using data from the Nashville Stress and Health Study (N = 1,252), the present study assessed the prevalence of vicarious experiences of discrimination among subsamples of Black men (n = 297) and women (n = 330), examined the association between vicarious experiences of discrimination and psychological distress among Black men and women, and evaluated the impact of vicarious discrimination on psychological distress in the context of other stressors. Results suggest that Black women report more vicarious exposure to specific types of discrimination. Furthermore, vicariously experienced discrimination was associated with higher levels of psychological distress among Black women, but not among Black men. Our findings extend the literature on racism-related stress and offer new insights for interventions aimed at reducing racial disparities in mental health.

Gendered Racial Microaggressions, Psychosocial Resources, and Depressive Symptoms among Black Women Attending a Historically Black University.

The current study integrates stress process model and intersectionality framework to explore psychological effects of an intersectional stressor experienced by black women: gendered racial microaggressions (GRMs). Prior research suggests GRMS negatively influence black women's mental health. However, it is unclear whether specific dimensions of GRMS are more or less impactful to mental health. This study investigates: To what extent do black women experience GRMS overall and its specific dimensions: Assumptions of Beauty and Sexual Objectification; Silenced and Marginalized; Strong Black Woman Stereotype; Angry Black Woman Stereotype? What is the relationship between GRMS and depressive symptoms? Do psychosocial resources (i.e., social support, self-esteem, mastery) mediate the association between GRMS and depressive symptoms? We use data from black women attending a historically Black university in the Southeast (N = 202). We employed ordinary least squares regression analysis and performed mediation analysis. Study results revealed a positive association between GRMS and depressive symptoms; the Angry Black Woman Stereotype GRMS dimension had the most robust influence on depressive symptoms. Psychosocial resources partially mediated the relationship between GRMS and depressive symptoms. Study results suggest that sociological stress research underestimates the influence of stress on black women's health when intersectional stressors like GRMS are not included in analytic models.

Extreme racism-related events and poor sleep in African-American women.

RATIONALE: Much of the research linking racism-related stressors to poor health has focused on fairly non-violent forms of racism that directly impact individuals under study. Exposure to particularly extreme and/or violent racist events are increasingly visible via smartphone recordings and social media, with consistent anecdotal reports of the effects of seeing and hearing about these events on sleep among minorities who racially identify with the victims. OBJECTIVE: This study examines whether exposure to direct and vicarious racism-related events (RREs), including more extreme events, are associated with sleep quality. Additionally, we examine effects of less and more violent direct RREs and vicarious RREs witnessed in person and via social media. METHODS: Among 422 African-American women, we assessed exposure to RREs using a modified version of the Race-Related Events Scale and assessed sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Linear regression analyses were used to model continuous global sleep. RESULTS: Direct (ß = 0.24 [95% CI: 0.13, 0.35]) RREs were associated with worse continuous global sleep quality scores in analyses adjusted for sociodemographics and risk factors for poor sleep. More violent direct RREs (ß = 0.59 [95% CI: 0.30, 0.89]) had stronger associations with poor sleep quality than less violent direct RREs (ß = 0.25 [95% CI: 0.11, 0.40]). Vicarious RREs overall (ß = 0.04 [95% CI: 0.14, 0.21]) and those witnessed via social media (ß = -0.07 [95% CI: 0.29, 0.14]) were not associated with global sleep quality; conversely, vicarious RREs witnessed in person were (ß = 0.52 [95% CI: 0.21, 0.83]). CONCLUSION: Extreme, direct experiences of racism, particularly those that are violent in nature, are associated with poor sleep quality. However, extreme vicarious experiences are not-- unless witnessed in person.

When Resilience Becomes Risk: A Latent Class Analysis of Psychosocial Resources and Allostatic Load Among African American Men.

There is a well-established link between psychosocial risks and psychological health among African American (AA) men. Yet, the psychosocial sources and physical health consequences of resilience (i.e., the ability to maintain good health despite adversity) remain underexplored. Using data from 283 AA men in the Nashville Stress and Health Study, the present study investigated the links between psychosocial resilience and allostatic load (AL), a biological indicator of physiological dysregulation. Latent class analysis (LCA) identified distinct resilience profiles comprising eight psychosocial resources across four categories: coping strategies, sense of control, racial identity, and social support. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests determined significant class differences in men's AL scores. LCA results confirm a four-class model was the best fit: Class 1 (high resources, 32%), Class 2 (high coping but low control, 13%), Class 3 (low resources but high racial identity, 20%), and Class 4 (low resources but high mastery, 34%). Results reveal lower AL (better health) among Classes 1 (m = 0.35) and 4 (m = 0.31) and higher AL (worse health) among Classes 2 (m = 0.44) and 3 (m = 0.44). Findings indicate that the "quality" rather than the "quantity" of psychosocial resources matters for physical health among AA men, as positive health outcomes were observed among both low- and high-resource classes. Results suggest different resource combinations produce distinct patterns of resilience among AA men and underscore the need to further elucidate complex resilience processes among this population.