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Published on: February 22, 2018
Physical disability and depression: clarifying racial/ethnic contrasts
Robyn Lewis Brown1, Robyn Lewis Brown, R Jay Turner
1Department of Sociology, DePaul University, 990 West Fullerton Ave., Suite 1100, Chicago, IL 60614, USA.
Journal of Aging and Health
|March 3, 2010
Summary
Racial and ethnic minorities with physical disabilities experience more depressive symptoms. Stress, coping resources, and shame significantly explain these disparities in mental health.
Area of Science:
- Health Disparities
- Psychiatry
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Depressive symptoms present a significant challenge for individuals with physical disabilities.
- Understanding racial and ethnic disparities in mental health outcomes among this population is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess racial/ethnic disparities in depressive symptoms among physically disabled individuals.
- To examine the role of stress exposure, coping resources, and shame in explaining these disparities.
Main Methods:
- Data from a Miami-Dade County study oversampling persons with physical disabilities (N=550).
- Inclusion of individuals from Cuban/Hispanic heritage, African American, and non-Hispanic White backgrounds.
Main Results:
- Cuban and other Hispanic individuals reported higher levels of depressive symptoms.
- Variations in stress exposure, coping resources, and shame largely accounted for these differences.
- Shame may mediate the relationship between stress, coping, and depressive symptoms.
Conclusions:
- Racial/ethnic differences in depressive symptoms exist among persons with physical disabilities.
- Stress exposure, coping resources, and shame are critical factors in understanding these mental health disparities.
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