Though past research has examined the influence of social stress exposure on the mental health of older African Americans, the tendency is to investigate singular stress exposures (e.g., discrimination). Furthermore, this research rarely assesses whether the psychological effects of specific stress exposures are gender-specific. The current study fills these gaps by ascertaining (a) gendered patterns of stress exposure among older African Americans, and (b) gendered nuances in the individual, collective, and cumulative effects of stress exposure on mental health. Using the National Survey of American of Life (N = 992; 614 women, 378 men), the study utilizes a sample of African American-identified women and men, 50 years of age and older. Study results revealed that gender patterns of stress exposure were dependent on the stress measure under investigation. In addition, women and men shared some stress predictors of mental health (e.g., everyday discrimination); nevertheless, other stress predictors were specific to women (e.g., health-related mobility challenges) while others were unique to men (e.g., perceived neighborhood crime). Study findings challenge gerontologists to engage how racial and gendered identities intersect to place race-gender groups at distinct risks for stressors that elicit poor mental health. Study results have implications for the development of tailored strategies for improving the psychological health of African American women and men in mid to late life.
The health outcomes of older Black adults with cancer are influenced by individual, familial, and contextual factors that highlight unexplored opportunities to better understand and support this population. Moreover, cancer is often just one of the significant health concerns facing Black families at any one time, adding complexity to caregiving within family systems. In light of this, three main questions guide this chapter. First, what are the experiences and needs of older Black adults across the cancer continuum, from cancer prevention through end-of-life? Second, how do Black families provide care for an older family member and cope with the challenges that cancer brings? Third, how might a family comorbidity lens, that recognizes the presence of concurrent morbidities within the family system, enhance our understanding of concepts and processes that contribute to the well-being of older Blacks with cancer and their family members? Existing research on family support after a cancer diagnosis overwhelmingly focuses on a single (i.e., primary) caregiver and spousal family caregivers. A broader focus on the role of family systems in providing cancer care highlights both the unique strengths and challenges facing Black families who provide care. In addition, a family comorbidity orientation underscores the need to better understand the nature and impact of concurrent health challenges within families and the possibility of new opportunities to address health issues interdependently. Ultimately, a family comorbidity perspective reflects the lived experiences of older Black adults and their families after a cancer diagnosis and has implications for future research and interventions.
There remains a lack of knowledge on marital satisfaction of African Americans in general and this is particularly the case for older African Americans. In addition, only a handful of studies investigate satisfaction among couples who are unmarried. Using data from the National Survey of American Life, this study examined the correlates of romantic and marital satisfaction among older African Americans. Findings reveal that married older African Americans were slightly more satisfied with their relationship than individuals who were either remarried or unmarried but in a romantic relationship. Among older African American married adults, older age was associated with higher marital satisfaction, and men had higher levels of marital satisfaction than women. Also, married older African Americans with lower family incomes reported higher marital satisfaction. Region was the only variable significantly associated with romantic satisfaction indicating higher satisfaction for Southerners as compared to those living in the Northeast. Given the limited research on older African Americans couples, either married or unmarried, this study offers valuable implications for individuals and professionals engaging these couples in practice settings.
A robust body of research has shown that Black Americans are less likely than Whites to have psychiatric disorders despite the social and economic disadvantage and systemic racism that they face. This mental health paradox has been demonstrated across all ages of the life course, including older adulthood. One of the prevailing explanations for the lower prevalence of psychiatric disorders among Blacks pertains to the influence of psychosocial resources on mental health. Psychosocial resources can directly or indirectly support mental health through physiological and psychological pathways. They can also mitigate the adverse effects of social stressors of discrimination and other stressors on psychological distress and mental illness. Black older adults may particularly benefit from psychosocial resources because they have had a lifetime of experiencing and overcoming adversity. Although this cycle of stress adaptation can wear away at the physical body, it may facilitate mental health resilience. In this chapter, we review research on the relationship between psychosocial resources and mental health. The chapter begins with a brief review of the Black–White mental health paradox and the mechanisms through which psychosocial resources operate to influence mental health. We then review research on intrapersonal, interpersonal, and community-level psychosocial resources that are particularly salient for Black Americans. Throughout the chapter we highlight research specifically focused on Black older adults and discuss the cultural relevance of each resource to their mental health and psychological functioning.
There are persistent disparities in all-cause mortality between Blacks and Whites in the United States. Black Americans also carry the greatest burden of morbidity from different diseases of aging including heart disease, stroke, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. Health disparities research, and particularly race/ethnic comparison studies of physical health and aging, have consistently positioned Black health in frameworks of disadvantage, suggesting that regardless of the outcome, Black people are in worse states of health and well-being relative to Whites. Yet, extensive evidence suggests that there is significant within-group variability in the aging process among Black older adults. The use of biological, physical performance, and genomic data in survey settings offer new tools and insights to interrogate heterogeneity in Black health. This chapter examines indicators of biological, physical performance, and genetic markers of aging among a national sample of Black Americans ages 54+ years with the aim of addressing two questions about heterogeneity among Black older adults: (a) How do these measures vary by age and gender among Black older adults? (b) Which indicators predict health and mortality among Black older adults? The results indicate that biological, physical performance, and genomic measures of health, generally, have more variation than simple yes or no measures of a disease, condition, or diagnosis among Black older adults, providing counternarratives to the disadvantage frameworks that dominate characterizations of Black health and aging. However, bioethical challenges limit the utility of biomarkers, physical performance, and genomics measures for Black populations.
