Suchergebnisse

AbstractRecent reports have highlighted disparities in representation of Black men within research, calling for more work to be done with this group. The authors take up this call by exploring whether adherence to masculine norms influences mental health outcomes among young Black men. The sample included survey responses from 18- to 30-year-old Black men (N = 273) enrolled at five colleges and universities in the midwestern United States. Two theoretically relevant subscales from the Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory (that is, self-reliance and emotional control) were used to measure adherence to masculine norms, and depressive symptoms were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis results indicate that the model fit the data well. Furthermore, self-reliance was associated with higher rates of depressive symptoms (β = .358, p < .001), but emotional control was not (β = .137, p = .099). Study findings suggest that depression treatment interventions should be tailored to incorporate aspects of masculinity that are most salient to young Black men. In addition, social work researchers, clinicians, and service providers are uniquely positioned to contribute to the promotion of mental wellness among this underserved population and should be prepared to attend to young Black men's mental health needs.

Social scientists have paid scant attention to factors relating to pessimism among Black American men. Drawing from Fankl's existentialist framework, this study explored the association between life stress, everyday racism, existential well-being (EWB), religiosity and self-reported pessimism among a community sample of Black men ( n = 147). Regression analysis revealed that life stress was positively associated with pessimism, while EWB was negatively associated with pessimism. Relative weights analysis indicated that EWB had the greatest explanatory power in the model. Findings suggest that future studies of pessimism among Black American men should account for men's sense of purpose and life stress, while also considering the potentially moderating effects of chronic and acute life stress on men's future orientation.