%0 Journal Article
%T Factors Associated with Anxiety and Depression among African American and White Women
%A Kalycia Trishana Watson
%A Nehezi M. Roberts
%A Milda R. Saunders
%J ISRN Psychiatry
%D 2012
%R 10.5402/2012/432321
%X Background. We examined factors associated with depression and anxiety in a cohort of low-income Baltimore women. Methods. We used Pathways to Adulthood data, a cohort of adults aged 27 to 33 who were born in Baltimore between 1960 and 1965. Our outcomes were a score of >4 on the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) across the depression or anxiety domains. Linear regression clustered on census tract was used for multivariate analysis. Results. In multivariable analyses, unmarried women, White women, those with lower self-rated health, and younger mothers had higher depression scores. Only lower self-rated health and White race were associated with a higher anxiety score. Neither neighborhood poverty nor racial composition was a predictor for anxiety or depression; however, the significant risk factors cluster in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Conclusion. Our work highlights the importance of universal screening for depression or anxiety with more in-depth surveillance based on risk factors rather than on race. 1. Introduction Depression and anxiety are common mental health disorders; however, the risks for depression and anxiety are not distributed equally. Women are twice as likely as men to experience depression and generalized anxiety disorder due to a variety of biological and social factors [1, 2]. WomenĄŻs hormonal fluctuations associated with menstruation, pregnancy, and childbirth may increase their vulnerability to mental distress. Social factors such as poverty, race, and neighborhood also increase womenĄŻs risk for depression and anxiety. Poverty is considered one of the most consistent predictors of mental distress among women. Low-income womenĄŻs risk of depression is almost double that of their nonpoor counterparts [2, 3]. Poverty contributes to daily worries about basic needs and limits the ability to engage in recreational activities. Poor women are more likely to experience financial troubles, relationship problems, poor health, and unemployment which can contribute to the onset of depression [3¨C5]. Poverty may combine with a lack of social support to make low-income women vulnerable to anxiety and depressive disorders. For women, racial differences in risk for depression and anxiety vary widely. In some studies, African American women have higher rates of depression and anxiety compared to White women [6], while other data demonstrate that African American women have lower rates [2, 7¨C11]. Lower rates of anxiety and depression among African American women may be attributed to psychosocial resources, emotional resilience, social support,
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn.psychiatry/2012/432321/