Abstract
This study examined the relationships between race and neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) groups, perceived discrimination
or unfair treatment (UT), and mental health (MH) (e.g., life satisfaction and the CESD scale). We modeled associations across
five domains (e.g., employment, housing, education, police/courts, and other services) of discrimination and MH using OLS
regression, controlling for sex, age, race and neighborhood SES, education, and neuroticism. We also conducted content analysis
of respondents’ UT descriptions across domains. We used the YES Health pilot study, examining 98 black and white adults, aged
25–55, in a small Midwestern city. Quantitative results showed acute lifetime discrimination prevalence at 98% versus 42%
in the last year. In multivariate models, only lifetime employment and total discrimination, as well as total discrimination
in the last year, were significantly related to life satisfaction. Also, race and neighborhood SES groups were not significantly
related to MH in these models. Qualitative results suggested UT’s impact on MH equated to more than the amount of acute exposure,
where UT was often associated with chronic stressors and rumination. Our contributions to the literature were examining multiple
questions and domains of acute discrimination in the context of race and neighborhood SES groups and varying exposure lengths
using mixed methods analyses.
or unfair treatment (UT), and mental health (MH) (e.g., life satisfaction and the CESD scale). We modeled associations across
five domains (e.g., employment, housing, education, police/courts, and other services) of discrimination and MH using OLS
regression, controlling for sex, age, race and neighborhood SES, education, and neuroticism. We also conducted content analysis
of respondents’ UT descriptions across domains. We used the YES Health pilot study, examining 98 black and white adults, aged
25–55, in a small Midwestern city. Quantitative results showed acute lifetime discrimination prevalence at 98% versus 42%
in the last year. In multivariate models, only lifetime employment and total discrimination, as well as total discrimination
in the last year, were significantly related to life satisfaction. Also, race and neighborhood SES groups were not significantly
related to MH in these models. Qualitative results suggested UT’s impact on MH equated to more than the amount of acute exposure,
where UT was often associated with chronic stressors and rumination. Our contributions to the literature were examining multiple
questions and domains of acute discrimination in the context of race and neighborhood SES groups and varying exposure lengths
using mixed methods analyses.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-15
- DOI 10.1007/s12552-011-9052-4
- Authors
- Ronica N. Rooks, Department of Health and Behavioral Sciences, University of Colorado Denver, P.O. Box 173364, CB 188, Denver, CO 80217-3364, USA
- Yanmei Xu, Department of Sociology, Saginaw Valley State University, 7400 Bay Road, University Center, MI 48710, USA
- Brooke Dorsey Holliman, Department of Health and Behavioral Sciences, University of Colorado Denver, P.O. Box 173364, CB 188, Denver, CO 80217-3364, USA
- David R. Williams, Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Kresge Building Room 615, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Journal Race and Social Problems
- Online ISSN 1867-1756
- Print ISSN 1867-1748