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OBJECTIVES: Differences in health outcomes among migrant groups have been related to the length of stay in host countries. This study examined the health of people reporting Caribbean ethnic origins within and outside of Canada and the possible associations between timing of migration and poor physical and mental health outcomes. METHOD: Analyses were conducted on population data collected in Canada (2000/2001, 2003, 2005), Jamaica (2005) and Guyana (2005). Physician-diagnosed and self-rated health measures were used to assess physical and mental health statuses. RESULTS: Rates of chronic conditions were generally higher among people reporting Caribbean ethnic origins in Canada compared to those living in the Caribbean region. Self-rated fair or poor general health rates, however, were higher among participants in the Caribbean region. Higher rates of any mood disorders were also found among Caribbean region participants in comparison to those in Canada. Logistic regression analyses revealed that new Caribbean immigrants (less than 10 years since immigration) in Canada had better physical health than those who were more established. Those who immigrated more than 20 years ago showed consistently better health conditions than those who had immigrated between 11 to 20 years ago. This healthy immigration effect, however, was not present for all chronic conditions among all Caribbean origin migrant groups. Moreover, mood disorders were highest among new immigrants compared to older immigrants. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that when and where ethnic Caribbeans migrate to, and emigrate from, matters in health statuses. These results have implications for policies related to health and well-being in support of ethnic Caribbean origin individuals who relocate to Canada. The paper concludes with suggestions for future studies regarding the health of ethnic origin Caribbeans living within and outside their region of birth; further highlighting the need for better understanding the role of racial and ethnic group origins in the transition and health outcomes of migrating groups to Canada.

The discrimination and health literature has not clearly resolved whether race-based experiences with discrimination are meaningfully distinct from other forms of unfair treatment or whether race-based experiences affect racial and ethnic minorities differently than non-Hispanic Whites. This study compared the effects of racial and nonrace-specific discrimination on lifetime risk for major depressive disorder (MDD) using data from the National Survey of American Life (NSAL), a nationally representative sample of African Americans, Caribbean Blacks, and non-Hispanic Whites (N = 6,082). Discrimination was defined in two ways: (a) nonrace-specific (any experience of discrimination regardless of the attribution) and (b) racial (discrimination attributed to a race-related reason such as race or skin color), which allowed for an assessment of any unique effects of racial discrimination on MDD risk for each ethnic group. Nonrace-specific discrimination was associated with increased MDD risk among both African Americans and non-Hispanic Whites. However, race-specific discrimination was associated with increased MDD risk for African Americans and Black Caribbeans, but not non-Hispanic Whites. These findings suggest that nonrace-specific discrimination measures-used commonly in the existing literature-may obscure unique associations between racial discrimination and depression; race-related discrimination may have uniquely detrimental consequences for MDD risk among Black people (e.g., African Americans and Black Caribbeans). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

This study explores the relationship between religious service attendance, social ties, and health among former NFL players, a population with relatively high levels of religious attendance who endure physically demanding occupations. Research shows that frequent religious service attenders tend to have better health, partly because of social connections formed through religious involvement. We analyzed a sample of 1029 former NFL players. Consistent with previous research, bivariate and multivariate OLS regression models show that frequent religious attenders have statistically significantly better self-rated health. However, this relationship is moderated by social ties. Respondents who scored lower on the social ties index exhibited a stronger significant relationship between frequent religious attendance and health; those scoring higher on the social ties index exhibited no relationship between frequent attendance and health. Future research should examine how benefits of religious attendance vary depending upon strength of social relationships.

Objectives: Chronic stressors are associated with cardiometabolic health conditions and disparities. Mechanisms linking stressors and health remain poorly understood. Methods: Two cohort studies (Cardiac Rehabilitation And The Experience [CREATE] and Tracking Risk Identification for Adult Diabetes [TRIAD]) with harmonized variables were used to examine relationships between six types of chronic stressors in adulthood and Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation, as indicated by blunted diurnal cortisol slopes, which are stress-sensitive biomarkers implicated in cardiometabolic health (merged N = 213, mean age 61, 18% Black). A secondary aim was to explore whether these chronic stressors accounted for Black–White disparities in HPA axis regulation. Results: Some chronic stressors were linked to HPA axis dysregulation, with recent stressors most salient ( b = 0.00353, SE = 0.00133, p = .008). Black–White disparities in HPA axis regulation persisted after controlling for racial differences in chronic stressors, which reduced the disparity 11.46%. Discussion: Chronic stressors in adulthood may increase risk for HPA axis dysregulation and associated cardiometabolic health outcomes but may not be a key factor in racial disparities.

This study examines racial/ethnic differences in perceived need for mental health treatment, barriers to treatment receipt, and reasons for dropout. Data are from the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Studies, a pooled dataset from three U.S. nationally-representative adult samples. Among respondents with a 12-month psychiatric disorder who received no treatment (N = 1417), Asians and Latinos reported lower perceived need than Blacks and Whites, and Latinos reported the fewest attitudinal barriers. Among those with a 12-month disorder who dropped out of treatment, Asians and Latinos gave more reasons for dropping out. Significant interactions of race/ethnicity with other characteristics identified subpopulations with high unmet need.

Background: Despite equivalent or lower lifetime and past-year prevalence of mental disorder among racial/ethnic minorities compared to non-Latino Whites in the United States, evidence suggests that mental disorders are more persistent among minorities than non-Latino Whites. But, it is unclear how nativity and socioeconomic status contribute to observed racial/ethnic differences in prevalence and persistence of mood, anxiety, and substance disorders. Method: Data were examined from a coordinated series of four national surveys that together assessed 21,024 Asian, non-Latino Black, Latino, and non-Latino White adults between 2001 and 2003. Common DSM-IV mood, anxiety, and substance disorders were assessed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Logistic regression analyses examined how several predictors (e.g., race/ethnicity, nativity, education, income) and the interactions between those predictors were associated with both 12-month disorder prevalence and 12-month prevalence among lifetime cases. For the second series of analyses, age of onset and time since onset were used as additional control variables to indirectly estimate disorder persistence. Results: Non-Latino Whites demonstrated the highest unadjusted 12-month prevalence of all disorder types (p

Despite mammoth efforts toward the treatment and prevention of substance use disorders in the United States over the past 30 years, they remain a significant public health concern and an all-too-common comorbidity among people with other forms of mental illness. Continued research into genetics, pharmacotherapies, psychotherapies, and epidemiology for substance use disorders results in huge amounts of new information for clinicians to assimilate each year. This review summarizes current diagnostic and categorical standards in substance use disorders, epidemiology, genetic and physiologic factors in addiction for each class, clinically relevant laboratory testing, evidence-based treatments, and prognostic considerations in substance use disorders. Specifically, sections cover cannabinoids, hallucinogens, opioids, sedatives, and stimulants. This review contains 3 figures, 6 tables and 60 references Key words: benzodiazepines, cannabis, drug dependence, hallucinogens, MDMA, substance abuse, substance dependence, synthetic cannabinoids

Summary: Background: Gender differences in life expectancy and societal roles have implications for a country's capacity to support its older population. Specifically, the longevity risk associated with longer life expectancy of women, with greater risk of morbidity entails different needs between genders in older age. We aimed to quantify gender differences in the ageing experience of older people in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries as a first step in identifying policy gaps and differences in the allocation of resources and social support for older men and women. Methods: We constructed a multidimensional Ageing Index to account for gender differences in societal ageing, using mostly gender-disaggregated latest available data between 2015 and 2019, for 18 OECD countries. Our Ageing Index is a weighted sum of scores for five domains, which consisted of various measures, that are important for societal ageing: wellbeing, productivity and engagement, equity, security, and cohesion. The construction of the domains and their relative weighting was determined by the Research Network on an Ageing Society, an interdisciplinary group of academics. We computed the overall index and domain scores (from 0 to 100) for each gender and compared these scores between genders and countries. Findings: In every country, gender differences in key domains of societal ageing favour men. Countries in northern Europe (ie, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway), the Netherlands, and Japan had high overall Index scores for both genders, whereas many eastern and southern European countries (eg, Hungary, Poland, and Slovenia) performed less well. Countries with the largest gender difference in Index scores include the Netherlands, Germany, and Italy, whereas Ireland, Spain, and Poland had the smallest difference. Gender differences were present for the domains of productivity and engagement, security, and cohesion. Gender differences favoured men for domain productivity and engagement (mean 10·2, 95% CI 7·8–12·6; p

Older African Americans’ participation in health-related research is severely limited; they are not involved in sufficient numbers to ensure the applicability of advance­ments in medical and behavioral health. This research participation gap exacerbates older African Americans’ vulnerability to poor health outcomes and disparities. The Michigan Center for Urban African Ameri­can Aging Research employs a progressive community-based participatory model that utilizes a structured community advisory board (CAB) of African American older adults in metro Detroit, Michigan to oversee the research recruitment and retention of fellow minority older adult research partici­pants. CAB members develop and support community health programming that provides free resources to older adults and also serves as fertile ground for recruiting participants in a volunteer research registry. CAB members are also provided ongoing training on social and behavioral health research and are supported in acting as a consultancy to outside researchers where they can be compensated for their expertise and engagement. This community-engaged model of sustaining a CAB of African Ameri­can older adults offers key lessons learned on building relationships and trust, valuing and leveraging community members’ exper­tise and time, sharing decision-making, and fostering genuine community all while pro­moting research recruitment and retention among underserved populations.Ethn Dis. 2020;30(Suppl 2):755-764; doi:10.18865/ed.30.S2.755

BackgroundThe prevalence of mental disorders among Black, Latino, and Asian adults is lower than among Whites. Factors that explain these differences are largely unknown. We examined whether racial/ethnic differences in exposure to traumatic events (TEs) or vulnerability to trauma-related psychopathology explained the lower rates of psychopathology among racial/ethnic minorities.MethodsWe estimated the prevalence of TE exposure and associations with onset of DSM-IV depression, anxiety and substance disorders and with lifetime post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys, a national sample (N = 13 775) with substantial proportions of Black (35.9%), Latino (18.9%), and Asian Americans (14.9%).ResultsTE exposure varied across racial/ethnic groups. Asians were most likely to experience organized violence – particularly being a refugee – but had the lowest exposure to all other TEs. Blacks had the greatest exposure to participation in organized violence, sexual violence, and other TEs, Latinos had the highest exposure to physical violence, and Whites were most likely to experience accidents/injuries. Racial/ethnic minorities had lower odds ratios of depression, anxiety, and substance disorder onset relative to Whites. Neither variation in TE exposure nor vulnerability to psychopathology following TEs across racial/ethnic groups explained these differences. Vulnerability to PTSD did vary across groups, however, such that Asians were less likely and Blacks more likely to develop PTSD following TEs than Whites.ConclusionsLower prevalence of mental disorders among racial/ethnic minorities does not appear to reflect reduced vulnerability to TEs, with the exception of PTSD among Asians. This highlights the importance of investigating other potential mechanisms underlying racial/ethnic differences in psychopathology.

While interpersonal relations are an important aspect of people’s lives, they are also punctuated by conflict and tension. This study examined relationship conflict among Caribbean couples with an emphasis on experiences and potential determinants. The study is based upon secondary probability data collected in Jamaica, Guyana and the United States. The bivariate results revealed differences in factors associated with conflict among Caribbeans across countries. Multivariate analyses suggest that conflict occurring among partners is complex and contingent on level of relationship satisfaction, closeness to partner, frequency of discontentment and social and cultural backgrounds. Key words: Relationship conflict, gender roles, social context, Caribbean couples.

Despite indications that adolescent peer relations is a mediator of associations between early pubertal timing and psychosocial problems, extant studies have not explicitly examined race or ethnic-...

This study compares the provision and receipt of kin support for Jamaican immigrants in the US and Jamaican nationals residing in Jamaica. Two datasets are utilized for the study. US data is from the National Survey of American Life (NSAL) which contains the first national probability sample of Caribbean immigrants in the USA. Data for Jamaican nationals comes from the Family Connections across Generations and Nations, a dataset associated with the NSAL. Findings indicate that both Jamaican immigrants and Jamaican nationals provide and receive substantial support from family members. Age and parental and marital status impact the amount of support given and received. In particular, there is a significant interaction between parental status, age, and receiving support that is consistent for both Jamaican immigrants in the US and Jamaican nationals. Findings are discussed in relation to previous research in this field.

This chapter explores conceptual and methodological issues in the application of survey research methods to the study of life-span human development. It highlights those factors critical to an examination of the survey method in life-span development research. The chapter discusses three areas of potential application are: cohort trend, longitudinal panel, and longitudinal multigenerational studies. In order to ascertain change in individual development and aging, longitudinal panel studies are necessary. The continued use of powerful parametric statistics on haphazardly drawn samples, particularly in longitudinal research is becoming less and less justifiable. In longitudinal studies, total nonresponse and item nonresponse can have critical effects on estimates of population and individual trends through sample censoring, population and sample compositional changes, and missing units. The systematic and standardized methods developed by survey researchers to address stability and instability of behavior through cohort trend and panel longitudinal studies are of relevance and value to the investigation of human development and aging.

To examine social, economic, and migratory influences on the health of racial and ethnic minority groups in Canada, with a special focus on Caribbean immigrants.Combined annual cycles (2011-2016) of the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) data totaling over 300,000 adult Canadian residents were aggregated. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the prevalence and associated factors of (1) cardiovascular disease diagnosed by a healthcare professional, and (2) self-rated general health among racial and ethnic groups.Caribbeans in general, Black and other non-White Canadians had significantly higher odds (adjusted for age/sex) of reporting any cardiovascular disease compared with White Canadians. Only non-Caribbean Blacks had higher odds of self-rated fair or poor general health compared with White Canadians. Multivariate logistic regression models revealed that after controlling for social and demographic factors, immigration status and years since migration, Caribbean non-Blacks and Black Caribbeans were at higher odds of having a doctor-reported cardiovascular health condition compared with White Canadians. Caribbean non-Blacks also had higher odds of fair or poor self-rated health than White Canadians.The results of this study highlight the need for additional investigations of other potential influences on physical health statuses, especially among migrants and those of African ancestry who might be more prone to adverse health outcomes.RéSUMé: OBJECTIF: Examiner les influences socioéconomiques et migratoires sur la santé des minorités raciales et ethniques au Canada, en particulier les immigrants caribéens. MéTHODE: Les données des cycles annuels combinés (2011-2016) de l’Enquête sur la santé dans les collectivités canadiennes (ESCC) totalisant plus de 300 000 résidents canadiens adultes ont été regroupées. Des statistiques descriptives et des modèles de régression logistique multivariée ont été utilisés pour examiner la prévalence et les facteurs connexes 1) des maladies cardiovasculaires diagnostiquées par un professionnel des soins de santé et 2) de la santé générale autoévaluée au sein de groupes raciaux et ethniques. RéSULTATS: Les Caribéens en général, les Noirs et les autres Canadiens non blancs présentaient une probabilité sensiblement plus élevée (ajustée selon l’âge et le sexe) de déclarer n’importe quelle maladie cardiovasculaire que les Canadiens blancs. Seuls les Noirs non caribéens présentaient une probabilité supérieure de faire état d’une santé générale autoévaluée passable ou mauvaise que les Canadiens blancs. Les modèles de régression logistique multivariée ont révélé qu’en tenant compte des facteurs sociodémographiques, du statut d’immigration et du nombre d’années depuis la migration, les Caribéens non noirs et les Caribéens noirs présentaient une probabilité plus élevée d’avoir un trouble de santé cardiovasculaire déclaré par un médecin que les Canadiens blancs. Les Caribéens non noirs présentaient aussi une probabilité plus élevée de faire état d’une santé autoévaluée passable ou mauvaise que les Canadiens blancs. CONCLUSION: Les résultats de l’étude soulignent la nécessité de pousser la recherche sur les autres facteurs susceptibles d’influencer l’état de santé physique, surtout chez les migrants et les personnes d’origine africaine qui pourraient être plus sujets à des résultats sanitaires indésirables.

Since 1997, the Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research Program at the National Institute on Aging has been the model for training social and behavioral scientists in minority aging and health disparities research. The latest cycle of these Centers implemented a new structure for the analytic training of junior investigators and for advancing methodologic work relevant to improving the rigor of minority aging research. In this article, we describe the conceptual framework, logistical approaches, challenges, and lessons learned from our experience training junior investigators in methodology through the Michigan Center for Urban African American Aging Research over the past 20 years, with the goal of informing future analytic training efforts for the next generation of scholars focused on minority aging issues.

Objective: To assess whether unhealthy behaviors moderated the relationship between allostatic load (AL) and future significant depressive symptoms (SDSs) among 1,789 older Latinos. Method: Longitudinal data included baseline AL, three unhealthy behaviors (UBs), and 2-year follow-up SDS. Multivariable logistic regression analyses, stratified by birthplace (U.S. vs. foreign born), modeled the effects of AL, UB count (range = 0-3), and their interaction on follow-up SDS. Results: Compared with U.S.-born, foreign-born participants engaged in fewer UBs (0.52 vs. 0.60 behaviors, p = .01) and had higher baseline SDS (31% vs. 20%, p < .001). Among foreign-born participants, the effect of AL on future SDS (adjusted odds ratios [aORs]; 95% confidence interval [CI]) significantly increased across UB counts of 0 to 3: 1.06 [0.83, 1.35], 1.46 [1.14, 1.87], 2.00 [1.18, 3.41], and 2.75 [1.18, 6.44], respectively. Discussion: Among foreign-born Latinos, these results were most pronounced for women and adults above age 80, which may represent higher risk groups requiring more intensive screening for depression.

The purpose of this study was to: (1) examine the associations of individual-level objective socioeconomic status (OSS), subjective socioeconomic status (SSS), and area-based indicators of socioeconomic status, with 12-month DSM-IV mood, anxiety, alcohol use, and drug use disorders; and, (2) determine the extent of racial/ethnic differences in these associations across non-Latino White, non-Latino Black, Latino, and Asian participants. Data are from the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Studies dataset, a collection of three population-based surveys of mental disorders among U.S. residents aged 18 and older (n = 13,775). Among all indicators of socioeconomic status, SSS was most consistently associated with 12-month mental disorders. Income was negatively associated with mood and anxiety disorders; education was negatively associated with alcohol use and drug use disorders. Significant interactions with race/ethnicity were found for the associations of socioeconomic indicators with anxiety, alcohol use, and drug use disorders but not with mood disorders. SSS was not associated with any of the 12-month mental disorders among Blacks. Education had stronger associations with 12-month anxiety and alcohol use disorders among Whites than among other racial/ethnic groups. Among Asians, low income compared to high income was associated with a lower risk of anxiety disorders and less than high school completion compared to college or more was associated with a lower risk of alcohol use disorders. Finally, tract-level income inequality was associated with a greater risk of drug use disorders only among Blacks. The patterns and magnitudes of the associations of individual-level and area-based socioeconomic indicators differed by type of disorder and race/ethnicity.

Background and Objectives Family ties and role relationships through their effects on exchanges of resources and social support are critical health contexts for older African Americans. We studied the influence of affect-based (positive or negative) social relations and respondent-role network centrality on depressive symptoms in older African Americans compared to two ethno-racial groups, Black Caribbeans and Non-Hispanic Whites. Research Design and Methods We used data from the multigenerational 2004 National Survey of American Life Family Connections across Generations and Nations Study (NSAL 3-Gen). For respondents aged 50 years or older, we used tie affect (positive or negative) to code family role relations and two-mode (where an entity or thing is connected to a different type of entity, here individuals are connected to role relations) family networks. We used survey linear regressions to probe the independent association of relations and networks on depressive symptoms among older African Americans as compared to Black Caribbeans and Non-Hispanic Whites. Results Negative and positive relations are significantly associated with depressive symptoms, but there were some ethno-racial differences. For example, the negative Father relation is significantly associated with greater depressive symptoms among African Americans, but not in Black Caribbeans and Non-Hispanic Whites. Negative two-mode networks (connections from individuals to role relations) are significantly associated with depressive symptoms among African Americans and in the two comparison ethno-racial groups, while there is no significant association between positive networks and depressive symptoms. Discussion and Implications We found that negative relations had larger effects on depressive symptoms than positive ones, and conversely that negative networks had larger effects than positive networks. Simultaneously modeling social relations and networks could potentially enhance our understanding of the links between social structure, and depressive symptoms among older adults in African American and other ethno-racial minorities.