Social Support, Everyday Discrimination, and Depressive Symptoms Among Older African Americans: A Longitudinal Study

Weidi Qin; Ann W Nguyen; Dawne M Mouzon; Tyrone C Hamler; Fei Wang

doi:10.1093/geroni/igaa032

Social Support, Everyday Discrimination, and Depressive Symptoms Among Older African Americans: A Longitudinal Study

Innov Aging. 2020 Aug 10;4(5):igaa032. doi: 10.1093/geroni/igaa032. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Weidi Qin¹, Ann W Nguyen¹, Dawne M Mouzon², Tyrone C Hamler¹, Fei Wang¹

Affiliations

¹ Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.
² Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick.

Abstract

Background and objectives: The purpose of the study was 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.

Research design and methods: Mixed-effects negative binomial regression analyses were performed on data selected from 6 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (2006-2016; baseline N = 1,144). The number of depressive symptoms was calculated based on an 8-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression measure. Everyday discrimination was measured using a 6-item scale. Contact with and perceived support from extended family and friends were assessed.

Results: 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.

Discussion and implications: 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.

Keywords: Black older adults; Family social support networks; Friendship social support networks; Mental health; Unfair treatment.