Discrimination-related Anger, Religion, and Distress Differences between African Americans and Caribbean Black Americans
The Charleston Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church (AMEC) survivors’forgiveness of the racially motivated shootings prompted our research of the association between religion, discrimination-related anger, and psychological distress among black Americans. Using the first representative nationa...
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Published in | Society and mental health Vol. 7; no. 3; pp. 159 - 174 |
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Main Authors | , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Los Angeles, CA
Sage Publications, Inc
01.11.2017
SAGE Publications Sage Publications Ltd |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | The Charleston Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church (AMEC) survivors’forgiveness of the racially motivated shootings prompted our research of the association between religion, discrimination-related anger, and psychological distress among black Americans. Using the first representative national sample of Caribbean black Americans, the National Survey of American Life, we examine if discrimination-related anger produces more psychological distress for African Americans than Caribbean black Americans and if religious emotional support lowers distress from discrimination-related anger. Our findings show discrimination-related anger is associated with less distress for Caribbean black Americans than African Americans. Religious emotional support is associated with lower levels of distress and buffers the mental health of later generation Caribbean black Americans who report anger. African Americans reporting discrimination without anger show lower levels of psychological distress than their counterparts who experience anger. Thus, we have partial support that mercy towards one’s transgressor, illustrated by the Charleston Emanuel AMEC survivors, may benefit mental health. |
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ISSN: | 2156-8693 2156-8731 |
DOI: | 10.1177/2156869317711225 |