TY - JOUR
T1 - Psychosocial mechanisms linking the social environment to mental health in African Americans
AU - Mama, Scherezade K.
AU - Li, Yisheng
AU - Basen-Engquist, Karen
AU - Lee, Rebecca E.
AU - Thompson, Deborah
AU - Wetter, David W.
AU - Nguyen, Nga T.
AU - Reitzel, Lorraine R.
AU - McNeill, Lorna H.
N1 - Funding Information:
Project CHURCH was generously supported by funding from the University Cancer Foundation; the Duncan Family Institute through the Center for Community-Engaged Translational Research; the Ms. Regina J. Rogers Gift: Health Disparities Research Program; the Cullen Trust for Health Care Endowed Chair Funds for Health Disparities Research; and the Morgan Foundation Funds for Health Disparities Research and Educational Programs. Support was also provided by the Center for Energy Balance in Cancer Prevention and Survivorship, Duncan Family Institute for Cancer Prevention and Risk Assessment. Scherezade K. Mama was supported in part by a cancer prevention fellowship through MD Anderson Cancer Center's Cancer Prevention Research Training Program, funded by the National Cancer Institute (R25T CA057730 and P30 CA016672). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
PY - 2016/4
Y1 - 2016/4
N2 - Resource-poor social environments predict poor health, but the mechanisms and processes linking the social environment to psychological health and well-being remain unclear. This study explored psychosocial mediators of the association between the social environment and mental health in African American adults. African American men and women (n = 1467) completed questionnaires on the social environment, psychosocial factors (stress, depressive symptoms, and racial discrimination), and mental health. Multiplemediator models were used to assess direct and indirect effects of the social environment on mental health. Low social status in the community (p < .001) and U.S. (p < .001) and low social support (p < .001) were associated with poor mental health. Psychosocial factors significantly jointly mediated the relationship between the social environment and mental health in multiple-mediator models. Low social status and social support were associated with greater perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and perceived racial discrimination, which were associated with poor mental health. Results suggest the relationship between the social environment and mental health is mediated by psychosocial factors and revealed potential mechanisms through which social status and social support influence the mental health of African American men and women. Findings from this study provide insight into the differential effects of stress, depression and discrimination on mental health. Ecological approaches that aim to improve the social environment and psychosocial mediators may enhance health-related quality of life and reduce health disparities in African Americans.
AB - Resource-poor social environments predict poor health, but the mechanisms and processes linking the social environment to psychological health and well-being remain unclear. This study explored psychosocial mediators of the association between the social environment and mental health in African American adults. African American men and women (n = 1467) completed questionnaires on the social environment, psychosocial factors (stress, depressive symptoms, and racial discrimination), and mental health. Multiplemediator models were used to assess direct and indirect effects of the social environment on mental health. Low social status in the community (p < .001) and U.S. (p < .001) and low social support (p < .001) were associated with poor mental health. Psychosocial factors significantly jointly mediated the relationship between the social environment and mental health in multiple-mediator models. Low social status and social support were associated with greater perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and perceived racial discrimination, which were associated with poor mental health. Results suggest the relationship between the social environment and mental health is mediated by psychosocial factors and revealed potential mechanisms through which social status and social support influence the mental health of African American men and women. Findings from this study provide insight into the differential effects of stress, depression and discrimination on mental health. Ecological approaches that aim to improve the social environment and psychosocial mediators may enhance health-related quality of life and reduce health disparities in African Americans.
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U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0154035
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0154035
M3 - Article
C2 - 27119366
AN - SCOPUS:84966340418
VL - 11
JO - PLoS One
JF - PLoS One
SN - 1932-6203
IS - 4
M1 - e0154035
ER -