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Article
What about African American Older Women and Depressive Symptoms?
Educational Gerontology (2016)
  • Tamika Baldwin-Clark, Prairie View A&M University
  • Halaevalu F. O. Vakalahi,
  • Brian Anderson
Abstract
Depression is a major problem among African American older women; however, they also tend to be understudied as members of a multiple minority and oppressed group. As matriarchs and grandmothers in their families and communities, depression often emerges and becomes a detrimental problem for these older African American women. This study, a secondary data analysis, utilized the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) 2010 database to examine depression among older African American women. This article discusses the joint impact of age, social support, religion, caregiving, and physical health on depression among older community dwelling African American women. Findings indicate that age, physical health, and marital status as an aspect of social support were significant predictors of whether or not an older African American woman had ever had depression and whether or not she felt depressed in the past year. Receiving help from relatives as an aspect of social support also remained significant for participants who were feeling depressed in the past year. Implications for research, theory, and policy are offered.
Keywords
  • African Americans,
  • older women,
  • depressive symptoms,
  • Health and Retirement Study,
  • social support
Publication Date
Winter February 29, 2016
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/03601277.2015.1121749
Citation Information
Tamika Baldwin-Clark, Halaevalu F. O. Vakalahi, and Brian Anderson. "What about African American Older Women and Depressive Symptoms?" Educational Gerontology Vol. 42 Iss. 5 (2016) p. 310 - 320
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/tamika-baldwin-clark/10/