The mental health of US Black women: the roles of social context and severe intimate partner violence.
OBJECTIVE
Black women continue to have rates of mental health conditions that can be negative for their well-being. This study examined the contribution of social and contextual factors and severe physical intimate partner violence on the mental health of US Black women (African-American and Caribbean Black).


METHODS
Data were largely collected via in-person community interviews at participants' homes.


METHODS
We studied 3277 African-American and Black Caribbean women from the 2001-2003 National Survey of American Life (NSAL), the largest and most complete sample of Blacks residing in the USA.


METHODS
Key outcomes included an array of psychiatric disorders based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).


RESULTS
Bivariate results revealed noticeably high rates of any anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, any substance disorder, alcohol abuse disorder, suicide ideation and attempts, and any overall mental disorder among African-American women relative to Caribbean Black women. Multiple social and contextual factors were associated with various mental disorders among both sets of Black women in multivariate models, with the most consistent associations found for severe physical intimate partner violence. Everyday discrimination was associated with anxiety disorders (95% AOR=2.08 CI 1.23 to 3.51), eating disorders (95% AOR=2.69 CI 1.38 to 5.22), and any disorder (95% AOR=2.18 CI 1.40 to 3.40), while neighbourhood drug problems contributed to mood (95% AOR=1.19 CI 1.04 to 1.36), substance disorders (95% AOR=1.37 CI 1.11 to 1.69) and any disorder (95% AOR=1.18 CI 1.03 to 1.34).


CONCLUSIONS
Severe physical intimate partner violence, discrimination, and to a lesser extent, neighbourhood problems are important predictors of Black women's health, findings that inform intervention and clinical services tailored to meet the needs of Black women from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
University of Michigan, Institute for Social Research, Program for Research on Black Americans, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Krim K
KK
Lacey
College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA.
Regina
R
Parnell
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy & Institute for Health, Health Care Policy & Aging Research, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.
Dawne M
DM
Mouzon
University of Michigan, Institute for Social Research, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Niki
N
Matusko
College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA.
Doreen
D
Head
University of Michigan, Institute for Social Research, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Jamie M
JM
Abelson
University of Michigan, Institute for Social Research, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
James S
JS
Jackson
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000208:ethnology; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000208:ethnology; D044383:Black People / Q000523:psychology*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000066511:Intimate Partner Violence / Q000208:ethnology*; D008603:Mental Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000208:ethnology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000208:ethnology; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000208:ethnology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D016387:Women's Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D055815:Young Adult; D001741:Black or African American
PUBLIC HEALTH