Open AccessCorrelates of depression among Black girls exposed to violence
Author(s) -
Bernadine Waller,
Camille R. Quinn,
Donté T. Boyd,
Ralph J. DiClemente,
Dexter R. Voisin
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of racial and ethnic health disparities
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.644
H-Index - 21
eISSN - 2197-3792
pISSN - 2196-8837
DOI - 10.1007/s40615-020-00937-x
Subject(s) - psychology , social support , condom , clinical psychology , depression (economics) , population , psychiatry , medicine , social psychology , environmental health , syphilis , family medicine , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , economics , macroeconomics
Depression rates for youth remanded to juvenile detention is double that of the general population and Black girls are especially vulnerable. A dearth of literature analyzes the factors that are correlated with depression among system-involved Black girls, ages 12-17 years old. We utilized personal agency to examine the relationship between risk factors (i.e., abuse history, and fear of condom negotiation) and protective factors (i.e., condom self-efficacy, and perceived social support) that might correlate with depression among Black girls exposed to violence. Findings indicate that fear of condom negotiation, abuse history and low condom self-efficacy are correlated with depressive symptomology while self-esteem and perceived social support are protective factors that may serve as a buffer against girls' feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. The findings of this study suggest several implications for prevention and intervention efforts to reduce the depression-related risks among justice-involved Black females, including strategies that promote healing within their social support networks.