Role occupancy and minority mental health

Most studies of the mental health consequences of role occupancy do not consider racial/ethnic variation. Using a national sample of adults (N = 13,017), this paper examines the relationship between three role characteristics (role accumulation, role status, and role combinations) and mental health for Blacks, Mexicans, and Puerto Ricans and explores the extent to which these patterns differ from those for non-Hispanic Whites. Blacks and Puerto Ricans do not benefit from role accumulation whereas Mexicans and Whites who report a high number of roles report better psychological health than those who report few roles. All ethnic groups benefit from the spousal role but there is no consistent effect of either employment or parenthood. Membership in organizational groups benefits non-Hispanic Whites only, whereas familial roles (especially having a sibling) are related to improved mental health among all ethnic groups, except Puerto Ricans. In terms of role combinations, the psychological benefits of occupying all three adult social roles is more evident among non-Hispanic Whites and Mexican Americans compared to Blacks and Puerto Ricans. These findings are discussed in the context of their implications for sociological research which assumes that social psychological processes operate in the same manner across racial/ethnic groups.