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Buffers of Racial Discrimination: Links With Depression Among Rural African American Mothers
Author(s) -
Odom Erica C.,
VerFeagans Lynne
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of marriage and family
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.578
H-Index - 159
eISSN - 1741-3737
pISSN - 0022-2445
DOI - 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2010.00704.x
Subject(s) - optimism , racism , psychology , stressor , depression (economics) , social support , multilevel model , perception , african american , clinical psychology , developmental psychology , social psychology , ethnology , machine learning , neuroscience , computer science , economics , macroeconomics , history , political science , law
The current study examines racial discrimination as a predictor of depression in a sample of 414 rural, low‐income African American mothers of young children. The potential moderating role of optimism and church‐based social support was also examined. Mothers completed questionnaires when their child was 24 months old. Hierarchical regression revealed that mothers' perception of racism was a significant predictor of depression even after controlling for a variety of distal demographic characteristics and environmental stressors. Significant interactions suggested the importance of psychological and social characteristics in understanding maternal depression. Specifically, high levels of optimism and church‐based social support buffered mothers from increased depressive symptomology attributable to perceived racism.