title: Effects of goal-striving stress on the mental health of black Americans.
abstract: Although many scholars have theorized about how responding to the stress of blocked opportunities can affect the well-being of black Americans, few scholars have empirically examined the relationships between striving efforts, personal goals, and mental health among black Americans. This investigation examines the relationship between goal-striving stress and mental health in a national sample of black Americans. Results indicate that goal-striving stress is significantly related to lower levels of happiness, life satisfaction, self-esteem, and higher levels of psychological distress. We find that poverty status moderates the relationship between goal-striving stress and mental health. Compared to poorer persons, individuals above poverty with high goal-striving stress have significantly lower levels of happiness and life satisfaction. Overall, the findings provide a more complete context for understanding associations among socioeconomic status, goal-striving stress, and adverse mental health outcomes among black Americans.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA. slsellers@wisc.edu
authors.forename: Sherrill L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Sellers
authors.forename: Harold W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Neighbors
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D014481:United States