The Association of Emotional and Physical Reactions to Perceived Discrimination with Depressive Symptoms Among African American Men in the Southeast

Larrell L. Wilkinson, Olivio J. Clay, Anthony C. Hood, Eric P. Plaisance, Lakesha Kinnerson, Brandon D. Beamon and Dominique Hector
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Larrell L. Wilkinson: Department of Human Studies, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
Olivio J. Clay: Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
Anthony C. Hood: Department of Management, Information Systems & Quantitative Methods, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
Eric P. Plaisance: Department of Human Studies, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
Lakesha Kinnerson: Department of Human Studies, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
Brandon D. Beamon: Department of Human Studies, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
Dominique Hector: Department of Human Studies, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 1, 1-16

Abstract: This study examines the association of emotional and physical reactions to perceived discrimination with depressive symptoms among a sample of African American (AA) men in the southeastern United States. Analysis of the 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data set provides an examination of demographic, perceived discrimination context, and health status differences in depressive symptoms measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire—2 (PHQ-2). The analysis also assesses individual differences among AA men related to experiencing physical symptoms and feeling emotionally upset due to perceived discrimination. A focused examination investigates the role of adverse reactions to perceived discrimination in association with depressive symptomology. Findings illuminate the significance of experiences of and reactions to perceived discrimination in relationship with depressive symptomology among AA men living in the southeastern United States. Findings also demonstrate the need for additional research focusing on perceived discrimination experiences in relation to depressive symptoms experienced among the AA male subgroup. Continued investigation of within-group differences among AA men, with health promotional strategies to foster social-emotional support, will further the improvement in health and wellness for AA men.

Keywords: depression; African American; perceived discrimination; adverse reactions; social-emotional support (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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