Racial Discrimination, Depressive Symptoms, and Sleep Problems Among Blacks in the Rural South

Overview

Journal Cultur Divers Ethnic Minor Psychol

Specialties Psychology
Social Sciences

Date 2020 May 22

PMID 32437199

Citations 15

Authors

Ariel R Hart

Justin A Lavner

Sierra E Carter

Steven R H Beach

Affiliations

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Abstract

Objectives: Experiences of racial discrimination are common for Black Americans and have been associated with depression and sleep disturbance, factors likely involved in the insidious development of health disparities. The current study replicates these associations and examines longitudinal linkages.

Method: Black American couples (men: = 248, = 40, = 9; women: = 277, = 37, = 7) and their children, aged 9 to 14 ( = 276, = 11, = 1), completed measures of experiences of racial discrimination, depressive symptoms, and sleep problems at baseline and 8-month follow-up. In separate analyses for men, women, and youth, we examined concurrent and prospective associations of racial discrimination with depressive symptoms and sleep problems, then used longitudinal indirect effect models to examine whether depressive symptoms in response to racial discrimination led to increased sleep problems, or vice versa.

Results: Racial discrimination was associated concurrently with depressive symptoms and sleep problems for all family members. Prospective associations were also found with depressive symptoms and sleep problems in fathers and youth, and sleep problems in mothers. Longitudinal models showed significant indirect effects of racial discrimination on change in sleep problems through depressive symptoms for fathers and mothers, and a similar, but nonsignificant, pattern in youth. There were no indirect effects on change in depressive symptoms through sleep problems.

Conclusions: Persistent associations of racial discrimination with depressive symptoms and sleep problems reflect a lasting impact of racial discrimination. Because discrimination's effects on depression may contribute to increased sleep problems over time, interventions that buffer the effects of discrimination on depressive symptoms may also reduce sleep problems. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Citing Articles

Discrimination in Middle Eastern and North African Americans predicts Worse Mental Health as Mediated by Sleep.

Rastegar P, Zendels P, Peterman A J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2024; .

PMID: 39227546 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-024-02149-z.

Stress Accumulation, Depressive Symptoms, and Sleep Problems among Black Americans in the Rural South.

Adesogan O, Lavner J, Carter S, Beach S Clin Psychol Sci. 2024; 12(3):421-434.

PMID: 38859912 PMC: 11164549. DOI: 10.1177/21677026231170839.

Interpersonal discrimination and depressive symptoms among older Black and African American adults.

Arnold T, Polenick C, Maust D, Blow F PLoS One. 2024; 19(6):e0304168.

PMID: 38843241 PMC: 11156267. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304168.

Gendered Racial Microaggressions and Black Women's Sleep Health.

Erving C, Zajdel R, McKinnon I, Van Dyke M, Murden R, Johnson D Soc Psychol Q. 2024; 86(2):107-129.

PMID: 38371316 PMC: 10869115. DOI: 10.1177/01902725221136139.

Mental Health Treatment-Seeking Appraisal, Afrocentric Cultural Norms, and Mental Health Functioning: Buffering Factors of Young Black Men's Externalizing Behavior.

Lateef H, Adams L, Bernard D, Jellesma F, Frempong M, Boahen-Boaten B J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2023; 11(5):3150-3161.

PMID: 37624539 PMC: 10894312. DOI: 10.1007/s40615-023-01771-7.

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