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This study examined demographic and mental health correlates of subjective well-being (i.e., life satisfaction, happiness) using a national sample of older African Americans with psychiatric disorders. We used a subsample of 185 African Americans, 55 and older with at least one of thirteen lifetime psychiatric disorders from The National Survey of American Life: Coping with Stress in the 21st Century (NSAL). The findings indicated that among this population of older adults who had a lifetime psychiatric disorder, having a lifetime suicidal ideation was associated with life satisfaction but not happiness. Further, having a 12-month anxiety disorder or a lifetime suicidal ideation was not associated with happiness. Having a 12-month mood disorder, however, was negatively associated with an individual's level of happiness, as well as their life satisfaction. Additionally, there were two significant interactions. Among men, employment was positively associated with life satisfaction, and marriage was associated with higher levels of happiness among men but not women. The overall pattern of findings reflects both similarities and departures from prior research confirming that well-being evaluations are associated with multiple factors.

This study examines the relationship between religious involvement and 12-month and lifetime DSM-IV major depressive disorder (MDD) within a nationally representative sample of Black Caribbean adults. MDD was assessed using the DSM-IV World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview (WMH-CIDI). Religious involvement included measures of religious coping, organizational and nonorganizational involvement, and subjective religiosity. Study findings indicate that religious involvement is associated with 12-month and lifetime prevalence of MDD. Multivariate relationships between religious involvement and MDD indicate lower prevalence of 12-month and lifetime MDD among persons who use religious coping and characterize themselves as being religious (for lifetime prevalence only); persons who frequently listen to religious radio programs report higher lifetime MDD. Lower rates of 12-month and lifetime MDD are noted for persons who attend religious services at least once a week (as compared to both higher and lower levels of attendance), indicating a curvilinear relationship. The findings are discussed in relation to previous research on religion and mental health concerns, conceptual models of the role of religion in mental health (e.g., prevention, resource mobilization) that specify multiple and often divergent pathways and mechanisms of religious effects on health outcomes, and the role of religion among Caribbean Blacks.

Objectives: This study is the first to investigate the relationship between perceived emotional support and negative interaction with family members and suicide ideation and attempts among African American and Caribbean black adults., Method: Cross-sectional epidemiologic data from the National Survey of American Life and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to examine the association between perceived emotional support and negative interaction and suicide behaviors among 3,570 African Americans and 1,621 Caribbean blacks age 18 and older., Results: Multivariate analyses found that perceived emotional support was associated with lower odds of suicide ideation and attempts for African Americans and Caribbean blacks. Negative interaction with family was associated with greater odds of suicide ideation among African Americans and Caribbean blacks. Ethnicity moderated the impact of emotional support and negative interaction on suicide attempts; among Caribbean blacks, those who reported more frequent emotional support from their family had a significantly greater reduced risk for suicide attempts than African Americans. The effect of negative interaction on suicide attempts was also more pronounced for Caribbean blacks compared to African Americans., Discussion: Negative interaction was a risk factor for suicide ideation and emotional support was a protective factor for attempts and ideation. These associations were observed even after controlling for any mental disorder. The findings demonstrate the importance of social relationships as both risk and protective factors for suicide and ethnic differences in suicidal ideation and attempts among black Americans.

The purpose of this study was to examine the correlates of watching religious television programs and listening to religious radio programs. Data are taken from the National Survey of American Life, a nationally representative study of African Americans, Black Caribbeans, and non-Hispanic Whites. Several significant findings were noted. Both African Americans and Black Caribbeans watched religious television programs and listened to religious radio programs significantly more frequently than non-Hispanic whites. These differences in electronic religious media consumption were particularly large, especially listening to religious radio programming. Among African Americans and Black Caribbeans, several significant demographic differences in frequency of consuming religious programming (e.g., age, gender, region, marital status, immigration status) emerged. Lastly, our analysis found that consuming electronic religious programming did not substitute for attending church service but, instead, complemented weekly service attendance.

This study utilizes data from the National Survey of American Life to examine the sociodemographic and denominational correlates of religious involvement and spirituality among older African Americans and Black Caribbeans. Eleven measures of non-organizational religious participation, subjective religiosity, and spirituality are utilized. The findings indicate significant gender, income, region, marital status, denominational, and immigration status differences in religiosity and spirituality. Among older Black Caribbeans, income was a consistent correlate of religious participation and spirituality. The findings are discussed in relation to prior work in the area of religious involvement among older adults.

This study utilized data from the National Survey of American Life to investigate the use of professional services and informal support among African American and Caribbean black men with a lifetime mood, anxiety, or substance use disorder. Thirty-three percent used both professional services and informal support, 14% relied on professional services only, 24% used informal support only, and 29% did not seek help. African American men were more likely than to rely on informal support alone. Having co-occurring mental and substance disorders, experiencing an episode in the past 12 months, and having more people in the informal network increased the likelihood of using professional services and informal supports. Marital status, age, and socioeconomic status were also significantly related to help-seeking. The results suggests potential unmet need. However, the reliance on informal support also suggests a strong protective role that informal networks play in the lives of black men.

This paper provides an overview of theory in religion, aging, and health. It offers both a primer on theory and a roadmap for researchers. Four "tenses" of theory are described--distinct ways that theory comes into play in this field: grand theory, mid-range theory, use of theoretical models, and positing of constructs which mediate or moderate putative religious effects. Examples are given of both explicit and implicit uses of theory. Sources of theory for this field are then identified, emphasizing perspectives of sociologists and psychologists, and discussion is given to limitations of theory. Finally, reflections are offered as to why theory matters.

This study uses a national probability sample of older adults to examine racial and ethnic differences in the use of professional services and informal support for a stressful personal problem. Using data from the National Survey of American Life, this study focuses on African Americans, Black Caribbean immigrants, and Whites aged 55 years and older who experienced a personal problem that caused them significant distress (n=862). Multinomial logistic regression is used to estimate the association of race with the use of professional services only, informal support only, both professional services and informal support, or no help at all, while controlling for demographic and socioeconomic variables, characteristics of the informal support network, the type of problem experienced, and experiences of racial discrimination. Examining the use of professional services and informal support provides a more complete picture of racial and ethnic differences of help-seeking behaviors among older adults, and the factors associated with the sources from which these adults request help. Most respondents use informal support alone or in combination with professional services. Black Caribbeans are more likely than African Americans to rely on informal support only, whereas African Americans are more likely than Whites to not receive help. However, these findings are accounted for by differences in social support and experiences of discrimination.

This study examined demographic and denominational differences in religious involvement (i.e., organizational, non-organizational, subjective) among Caribbean Blacks (Black Caribbeans) residing in the U.S. using data from the National Survey of American Life. Caribbean Blacks who were born in the U.S. had lower levels of religious involvement than those who immigrated and respondents originating from Haiti (as compared to Jamaica) had higher levels of religious involvement, while persons from Trinidad-Tobago reported lower service attendance than did Jamaicans. Older persons, women and married persons generally demonstrated greater religious involvement than their counterparts, while highly educated respondents expressed lower levels of self-rated religiosity. Denominational differences indicated that Baptists reported high levels of religious involvement; however, in several cases, Pentecostals and Seventh Day Adventists reported greater involvement.

This study examined differences in religious participation and spirituality among African Americans, Caribbean Blacks (Black Caribbeans) and non-Hispanic Whites. Data are taken from the National Survey of American Life, a nationally representative study of African Americans, Black Caribbeans and non-Hispanic Whites. Selected measures of organizational, nonorganizational and subjective religious participation were examined. African American and Caribbean Blacks were largely similar in their reports of religious involvement; both groups generally indicated higher levels of religious participation than non-Hispanic Whites. African Americans were more likely than Black Caribbeans to be official members of their places of worship, engage in activities (choirs, church clubs) at their place of worship and request prayer from others. Black Caribbeans reported reading religious materials more frequently than African Americans. The discussion notes the importance of examining ethnic differences within the black American population of the United States.

Recent years have seen a burgeoning of research and writing on the connections between religion and health. The very best of this work comes from epidemiologic studies of African Americans. This paper summarizes results of these investigations, including findings identifying effects of religious participation on both physical and mental health outcomes. Evidence mostly supports a protective religious effect on morbidity and mortality and on depressive symptoms and overall psychological distress among African Americans. This paper also carefully discusses what the results of these studies mean and do not mean, an important consideration due to frequent misinterpretations of findings on this topic. Because important distinctions between epidemiologic and clinical studies tend to get glossed over, reports of religion-health associations oftentimes draw erroneous conclusions that foster unrealistic expectations about the role of faith and spirituality in health and healing. Finally, implications are discussed for clinical practice, medical education and public health.