Profiles of depressive symptoms among African Americans and Caribbean Blacks

Soc Sci Med. 2007 Jul;65(2):200-13. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2007.02.038. Epub 2007 Apr 20.

Abstract

Latent profile analysis was used to summarize profiles of depressive symptoms among a nationally representative sample of US-born and Caribbean-born Blacks. Analyses are based on the responses of 4915 African Americans and Caribbean Blacks from the National Survey of American Life. A high symptoms and a low symptoms class were identified. Age, gender, negative interaction within the individual's social network (e.g., conflict, demands, criticism) and racial discrimination were associated with depressive symptoms in the low symptoms class, whereas socioeconomic status, gender, emotional support and negative interaction were associated with depressive symptoms in the high symptoms class. The findings demonstrate the heterogeneity within the Black population in the USA and the distinct sociodemographic, family network and stress correlates of depressive symptoms for each latent class.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Black or African American*
  • Data Collection
  • Depression / physiopathology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Interviews as Topic
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prejudice
  • United States
  • West Indies / ethnology