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BackgroundWork-related stress (WRS) has been considered a major source of stress for adults in the United States for more than a decade and it is higher in urban settings and greater among Black adults. Although research has established a connection between WRS, life stressors, and depressive symptoms, no previous studies have explicitly examined the association between spillover from life stressors to work and depressive symptoms using a nationally representative survey of Black Americans.ObjectiveThis current study examines how work related stressors are related to depressive symptomatology among working Black adults in the United States (defined as Black adults 18 years or older who were employed at the time of the interview), and whether this relationship is mediated by life stressors.MethodsMultivariate logistic regression analysis compared work-related stress and other life stressors between working Black adults with depressed symptoms and working Black adults without depressive symptoms. Mediation of life stressors between work-related stress and depressive symptoms was also analyzed.FindingsWork-related stress (OR: 1.79, 95% CI: 1.37, 2.32), (OR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.14, 1.71), neighborhood stressors (OR: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.15, 1.70), and financial stressors (OR: 2.00, 95% CI: 1.54, 2.60) were associated with higher odds of experiencing depressive symptoms with low educational attainment serving as a critical component. Life stressors partially mediates the relationship between WRS and depressive symptoms (OR: 1.10, Bias-corrected 95% CI: 1.04, 1.16).ConclusionsThis study provides the foundation for the inclusion of other stressors (i.e., neighborhood and financial), beyond familial stressors, when exploring the spillover effect for working Black adults; taking into consideration the differential effects among high and low educational stratum. Organizations must begin to take a holistic and comprehensive approach when integrating policies and programs aimed at promoting interventions into their work-related stress prevention programs for Black adults—focusing on the full stress experience among workers at lower educational levels.

Background: The criminal justice system is the second largest referral source to publicly funded marijuana use disorder treatment. Individuals with criminal justice contact (be­ing unfairly treated or abused by the police, lifetime arrest, incarceration, or parole) have reported notably high levels of stress, sleep problems, and marijuana use. There are well-known race and sex disparities in marijuana use and criminal justice contact. However, understanding is limited on the role that stressors and sleep problems con­tribute to marijuana use among Black adults who experience criminal justice contact.Objectives: To determine whether life stressors and sleep problems contribute to lifetime marijuana use among Black adults with criminal justice contact and if there are sex differences.Methods: We performed multivariate logis­tic analysis, using nationally representative data of a non-institutionalized population sample (n=1508) of the National Survey of American Life from 2001 to 2003. We compared life stressors and sleep problems between Black adults with criminal justice contact who had lifetime marijuana use and those who did not have lifetime marijuana use. All analyses were stratified by sex.Results: In the sample of Black males with criminal justice contacts, individuals who reported financial stress (PR: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.12-1.60) had a higher prevalence of experiencing lifetime marijuana use than Black males who reported no financial stress. Black males who reported that they were spiritual (PR: .76, 95% CI: .61-.93) had a lower prevalence of experiencing lifetime marijuana use than Black males who indicated that they were not spiritual. Black females who reported family stress (PR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.04-1.82) had a higher prevalence of experiencing lifetime mari­juana use than Black females who reported no family stress.Conclusions: These results underscore the importance of considering sex differences in life stressors when developing etiologic models of marijuana use disorder for Black adults who have experienced criminal jus­tice contact.Ethn Dis. 2021;31(2):187-196; doi:10.18865/ed.32.1.187

Background: Despite the plethora of social ills which came to bear on the death of Freddie Gray, the charm of Baltimore City is being revitalized through social work liberation-collaborative efforts toward effective urban policing. Objective: Social workers, community leaders, faith-based groups, gang members, fraternities/sororities, and businesses united under the auspices of one banner to strengthen Baltimore's promising future. Methods: Using the strengths, prevention, empowerment, and community conditions (SPECS) framework, an urban community policing agenda was developed. Findings: This United Baltimore adopted the slogan of "One Baltimore" and generated a comprehensive agenda with 9 specific endeavors. Conclusion: Social workers in particular are called to action given their justice-oriented professional ethics to assist in Baltimore City's recovery and to become catalysts of positive social change.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice (US DOJ, 2016), African Americans have experienced disproportionate instances of police use of excessive force as a result of discriminatory practices and insufficient training. Officers are permitted to use appropriate force in specific situations; however, when force is excessive and deemed unnecessary, it then becomes an issue of concern. The U.S. Department of Justice was invited to investigate police departments that participated in the use of excessive force and a consent decree was developed with those departments to remedy the DOJ's findings. The researchers conducted a consent decree analysis examining government investigations of police practices throughout the U.S. between 2008 and 2018 comprising the following terms: police reform, consent decrees, settlement agreement, investigation reports, use-of-force, and policy to determine how prevalent excessive force was used towards African Americans. Findings indicated that within the decade, 14 cities were investigated, 12 were identified as using excessive force, with nine having their use-of-force policies available, and four municipalities using excessive force against African Americans. Social work values, advocacy, and cultural training were also identified to aid in the decrease of excessive force complaints.