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Background and Objectives The purpose of the study is to explore the long-term effects of everyday discrimination on depressive symptoms among older African Americans, as well as the moderating role of social support in this association. Research Design and Methods Mixed-effects negative binomial regression analyses were performed on data selected from six waves of the Health and Retirement Study (2006-2016; baseline N=1144). The number of depressive symptoms was calculated based on an 8-item CES-D measure. Everyday discrimination was measured by using a 6-item scale. Contact with and perceived support from extended family and friends were assessed. Results Older African Americans who experienced more frequent perceived discrimination had more depressive symptoms over time. Significant interactions between discrimination and perceived support from extended family and friends were found, indicating that among older African Americans who reported higher support from extended family and friends, perceived discrimination was positively associated with depressive symptoms over time. However, perceived discrimination and depressive symptoms were not longitudinally related among those who reported lower levels of perceived support. Discussion and Implications This is one of the few studies to examine the effects of discrimination on depressive symptoms over time and the first longitudinal study to test the role of social support in coping with discrimination in older African Americans. This study extends cross-sectional works on discrimination and mental health, indicating that experiences of discrimination can result in worse mental health over time. The significant interactions are consistent with the resource mobilization framework, which suggests that individuals who are more negatively affected by discrimination (more depressive symptoms) are more likely to reach out to friends and family to cope with discrimination. Translational Significance Older African Americans who experience more discrimination and depressive symptoms are more likely to seek support from extended family and friends for coping with discrimination over time. The study findings suggest that older African Americans may benefit from interventions based on stress coping resources via support from extended family and friends in coping with discrimination.

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Objective: This study sought to determine whether religious involvement is associated with sleep quality in a nationally representative sample of older African Americans. Methods: The analytic sample included African American respondents aged 55+ from the National Survey of American Life-Reinterview ( N = 459). Religious involvement variables included service attendance, reading religious texts, watching religious television programs, listening to religious radio programs, prayer, and subjective religiosity. Sleep outcomes were restless sleep and sleep satisfaction. Multiple linear regression analysis was used. Results: Watching religious television programs was associated with more restless sleep. Respondents who attended religious services less than once a year, at least once a week, or nearly every day reported greater sleep satisfaction than respondents who never attended religious services. Subjective religiosity was associated with lower sleep satisfaction. Discussion: The findings demonstrate the importance of examining a variety of religious involvement domains, which could point to different explanatory pathways between religious involvement and sleep.