Abstract

While research on Black mental health has increased over the past decade, there remain strides to make with regard to the investigation of the relationship between stress and depression among Black Americans. For decades, stress process scholars have documented that negative, adverse experiences have consequences for mental health conditions, such as depression. Stress process theory predicts that greater exposure to stressors and limited access to coping resources increase the risk of poor mental health. Therefore, socially disadvantaged groups such as Black Americans would be expected to be at great risk of mental health conditions due to previous exposure to stressors. Nevertheless, epidemiological research indicates a paradox in which there is an equal or lower prevalence of mental conditions in Black individuals compared with White individuals. Guided by the life course perspective and stress process model, stress exposures (i.e., life stressors and stressful life events) among mid-to-older Black Americans were explored in this dissertation. Three empirical studies were comprised and drew upon from the St. Louis Personality and Aging Network (SPAN) Study. While investigating major stressors in life narratives, the first study employed a qualitative approach to explore these narratives and identified three predominant life stressors: illness, death of loved ones, and family. The second study used SPAN survey data to examine the association between stress exposure and depressive symptoms is a predictor. Consistent with prior research, I found that stress exposures were predictors of depressive symptoms. Finally, the third study explored the effects of stressful life events and depressive symptoms across three-time points. Approximately 90% of participants included in the study reported experiencing at least one stressful life event each wave and an increase in the number of stressful life events was significantly associated with an increase in depressive symptoms. Overall, the findings of this dissertation underscore the critical importance of accounting for the dimensions and frequency of stress exposure throughout the Black adult life course to better understand the nuances and context of their mental health experiences. Given the high risk for poor mental health among Black adults, public health researchers should further explore the link between stress and mental health among this population, especially as the U.S. aging population is growing and becoming increasingly diverse.

Committee Chair

Darrell Hudson

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Author's Department

Social Work

Author's School

Brown School

Document Type

Dissertation

Date of Award

4-14-2025

Language

English (en)

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