The purpose of the study is to explore the long-term effects of everyday discrimination on depressive symptoms among older African Americans, as well as the moderating role of social support in this association. Mixed-effects negative binomial regression analyses were performed on data selected from six waves of the Health and Retirement Study (2006-2016; baseline N=1144). The number of depressive symptoms was calculated based on an 8-item CES-D measure. Everyday discrimination was measured by using a 6-item scale. Contact with and perceived support from extended family and friends were assessed. Older African Americans who experienced more frequent perceived discrimination had more depressive symptoms over time. Significant interactions between discrimination and perceived support from extended family and friends were found, indicating that among older African Americans who reported higher support from extended family and friends, perceived discrimination was positively associated with depressive symptoms over time. However, perceived discrimination and depressive symptoms were not longitudinally related among those who reported lower levels of perceived support. This is one of the few studies to examine the effects of discrimination on depressive symptoms over time and the first longitudinal study to test the role of social support in coping with discrimination in older African Americans. This study extends cross-sectional works on discrimination and mental health, indicating that experiences of discrimination can result in worse mental health over time. The significant interactions are consistent with the resource mobilization framework, which suggests that individuals who are more negatively affected by discrimination (more depressive symptoms) are more likely to reach out to friends and family to cope with discrimination. Older African Americans who experience more discrimination and depressive symptoms are more likely to seek support from extended family and friends for coping with discrimination over time. The study findings suggest that older African Americans may benefit from interventions based on stress coping resources via support from extended family and friends in coping with discrimination.

As within-group differences have emerged as a key area of inquiry for health disparities among African Americans, skin tone has been identified as an important factor. This study aims to examine: (a) the moderating role of skin tone in the relationship between discrimination, self-rated mental health, and serious psychological distress (SPD) and (b) whether this moderating effect differs across genders in a nationally representative sample of older African Americans. Analyses were conducted on a subsample of African Americans aged 55+ (N = 837) from the National Survey of American Life. The mental health outcomes were SPD and self-rated mental health. Discrimination was assessed with the Everyday Discrimination Scale. Skin tone was self-reported. Multiple linear regressions tested the study aims. Discrimination was associated with worse self-rated mental health and SPD in the total sample and among women. Skin tone moderated the association between discrimination and SPD in the total sample and among men and women. The associations between discrimination and mental health outcomes were stronger among darker-skinned respondents than lighter respondents. Gender-stratified analyses indicated skin tone moderated the association between discrimination and self-rated mental health for men but not women. This study contributes to the emerging body of literature on skin tone, discrimination, and mental health. Uncovering mechanisms behind the “why” is an important next step in understanding how skin tone influences the relationship between discrimination and mental health. The negative psychological effects associated with darker complexion provide several areas to be examined.

COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted older adults and Black individuals. Research has focused on physical outcomes, with less attention to the psychological effects of COVID-19. The objective of this study was to examine the interplay between perceptions of the COVID-19 outbreak as a threat to one’s day-to-day life, race, and psychological distress among middle-aged and older men and women. Analyses were conducted on a subsample of self-identified non-Latino Whites and Black individuals aged 50 and older (N = 3,834) from the American Trends Panel. Psychological distress was assessed with 5 items adapted from the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7. Perceived COVID-19 day-to-day threat was assessed with a single question. Negative binomial regressions tested the study aim. Perceptions of COVID-19 day-to-day threat were positively associated with psychological distress. Black individuals reported lower distress than Whites. Regardless of gender, greater perceptions of COVID-19 day-to-day threats were associated with greater distress among both White respondents and Black respondents. However, this association was weaker among Black respondents than White respondents. Among men only, the association between COVID-19 day-to-day threat and distress varied by race, patterned similarly to the race differences identified in the total sample. This association did not vary by race among women. This study contributes to the emerging literature focused on older adults and COVID-19 related stressors and psychological distress. An intersectional lens shows how structural oppression may shape perceptions of the pandemic. Future work should consider coexisting intersections in marginalized identities and mental health during COVID-19.

Research documents the adverse health effects of systemic inflammation. Overall, older Black Americans tend to have higher inflammation than older non-Hispanic White adults. Given that inflammation is related to a range of chronic health problems that disproportionately affect Blacks compared to Whites, this racial disparity in inflammation may contribute to racial disparities in particular chronic health problems. Thus, a better understanding of its determinants in the older Black population is of critical importance. This analysis examined the association between neighborhood characteristics and inflammation in a national sample of older non-Hispanic Black Americans. An additional aim of this study was to determine whether hopelessness and pessimism moderate the association between neighborhood characteristics and inflammation. A sample of older non-Hispanic Black Americans aged 60+ were drawn from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 1004). Neighborhood characteristics included neighborhood physical disadvantage and neighborhood social cohesion. Inflammation was assessed by C-reactive protein. The analyses indicated that neighborhood physical disadvantage and social cohesion were not associated with C-reactive protein. Hopelessness and pessimism moderated the association between neighborhood physical disadvantage and C-reactive protein. Knowledge regarding the role of hopelessness and pessimism as moderator in the neighborhood–inflammation association can inform cognitive-behavioral interventions targeted at changes in cognition patterns.

Objective: This study sought to determine whether religious involvement is associated with sleep quality in a nationally representative sample of older African Americans. Methods: The analytic sample included African American respondents aged 55+ from the National Survey of American Life-Reinterview ( N = 459). Religious involvement variables included service attendance, reading religious texts, watching religious television programs, listening to religious radio programs, prayer, and subjective religiosity. Sleep outcomes were restless sleep and sleep satisfaction. Multiple linear regression analysis was used. Results: Watching religious television programs was associated with more restless sleep. Respondents who attended religious services less than once a year, at least once a week, or nearly every day reported greater sleep satisfaction than respondents who never attended religious services. Subjective religiosity was associated with lower sleep satisfaction. Discussion: The findings demonstrate the importance of examining a variety of religious involvement domains, which could point to different explanatory pathways between religious involvement and sleep.

Patients living with chronic kidney disease (CKD) must balance the medical management of their kidney disease and other chronic conditions with their daily lives, including managing the emotional and psychosocial consequences of living with a chronic disease. Self-management is critical to managing chronic kidney disease, as treatment consists of a complex regimen of medications, dosages, and treatments. This is a particularly important issue for older African American adults who will comprise a significant portion of the older adult population in the coming years. Yet current conceptualizations of self-management behaviors cannot adequately address the needs of this population. Embodiment theory provides a novel perspective that considers how social factors and experiences are embodied within decision-making processes regarding self-management care among older African Americans. This paper will explore how embodiment theory can aid in shifting the conceptualization of self-management from a model of individual choice, to a framework that cannot separate lived experiences of social, political, and racial factors from clinical understandings of self-management behaviors. This shift in the conceptualization of self-management is particularly important to consider for CKD management because the profound illness burdens require significant self-management and care coordination skills.