Neighborhood Social Group Participation and Depressive Symptoms Among Mid-to-Late Life Black Americans: Does the Association Differ by Ethnicity?

• Published in: Journal of immigrant and minority health Vol. 23; no. 3; pp. 478 - 486
• Main Authors: Erving, Christy L., Cobb, Ryon J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.06.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; African Americans; Aged; Black or African American; Black People; Caribbean Region; Community organizations; Comparative Law; Depression; Ethnicity; Humans; International & Foreign Law; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mental depression; Middle age; Middle Aged; Minority & ethnic groups; Neighborhoods; Organizations; Original Paper; Polls & surveys; Private International Law; Psychological factors; Psychological well being; Public Health; Residence Characteristics; Risk analysis; Risk Factors; Social groups; Social participation; Sociology; United States - epidemiology; Well being; United States; Caribbean Region; Black/African American; Depressive symptoms; National survey of American life; Neighborhoods; Activity theory
• ISSN: 1557-1912; 1557-1920
• DOI: 10.1007/s10903-020-01070-x

This study examined how neighborhood social participation relates to depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older African Americans and Caribbean Blacks. A subsample of African Americans (N = 1616) and Caribbean Blacks (N = 601) age 40 and older were drawn from the National Survey of American Life (NSAL). Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression was used to examine the association between neighborhood social participation and depressive symptoms. In fully adjusted models, non-participation in available neighborhood organizations was associated with higher depressive symptoms among Caribbean Blacks (b = 1.93, p < .01), while neighborhood social participation was unrelated to depressive symptoms among African Americans. Non-participation in available neighborhood group associations is a risk factor for depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older Caribbean Blacks. Future research should assess the correlates of non-participation in available neighborhood organizations, and the mechanisms underlying how non-participation in these organizations relates to the psychological well-being of Caribbean Blacks.