Background and Objectives Hopelessness—a state of despair characterized by a negative outlook towards the future and a belief in insurmountable challenges—is a risk factor for major depression, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality among older adults. It is also an understudied consequence of discrimination. Older Blacks disproportionately report experiencing discrimination and, as a result, may be at greater risk of feeling hopeless. However, social and religious resources may protect against the adverse effects of discrimination. The current study examines whether social support, social engagement, religious attendance, and religiosity buffer the effects of self-reported everyday discrimination on hopelessness among a nationally representative sample of Blacks. Research Design and Methods Using data from the 2010/2012 psychosocial assessment of the Health and Retirement Study, we regressed hopelessness on everyday discrimination, stratifying by two age groups, ages 51-64, representing middle-age (n=1,302) and age 65 and older, representing old age (n=887). Interaction terms tested whether each resource moderated the discrimination-hopelessness relationship controlling for depressive symptoms, socioeconomic status, and demographic characteristics. Results Greater reports of everyday discrimination were associated with higher levels of hopelessness for middle-aged and older Blacks. For middle-aged Blacks, the resources did not moderate the discrimination-hopelessness relationship; rather higher levels of support (b=-.294, p<0.01), religiosity (b=-.297, p<0.001), religious attendance (b=-.218, p<0.05) were independently and inversely associated with hopelessness. For older Blacks, higher levels of religiosity moderated the discrimination-hopelessness relationship (b=-.208, p<0.05) and higher levels of support (b=-.304, p<0.05) and social engagement (b=-.236, p<0.05) were independently and inversely associated with hopelessness. Discussion and Implications Findings suggest that self-reported everyday discrimination increases hopelessness among middle-aged and older Blacks but social and religious resources may counterbalance its effects, in age-specific ways, to protect against hopelessness. Religiosity may be especially important for older Blacks as a buffer against the negative consequences of discrimination on hopelessness.

To develop and validate a brief, structured, behavioral health module for use by local public health practitioners to rapidlyassess behavioral health needs in disaster settings. Data were collected through in-person, telephone, and webbased interviewsof 101 individuals afected by Hurricanes Katrina (n = 44) and Sandy (n = 57) in New Orleans and New Jersey in Apriland May 2018, respectively. Questions included in the core module were selected based on convergent validity, internalconsistency reliability, test–retest reliability across administration modes, principal component analysis (PCA), questioncomprehension, eiciency, accessibility, and use in population-based surveys. Almost all scales showed excellent internal consistencyreliability (Cronbach’s alpha, 0.79–0.92), convergent validity (r > 0.61), and test–retest reliability (inperson vs. telephone,intra-class coeicient, ICC, 0.75–1.00; in-person vs. web-based ICC, 0.73–0.97). PCA of the behavioral health scales yieldedtwo components to include in the module—mental health and substance use. The core module has 26 questions—includingself-reported general health (1 question); symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety (Primary Care PTSD Screen,Patient Health Questionnaire-4; 8 questions); drinking and other substance use (Alcohol Use Disorders IdentiicationTest-Concise, AUDIT-C; Drug Abuse Screening Test, DAST-10; stand-alone question regarding increased substance usesince disaster; 14 questions); prior mental health conditions, treatment, and treatment disruption (3 questions)—and can beadministered in 5–10 minutes through any mode. This lexible module allows practitioners to quickly evaluate behavioral healthneeds, efectively allocate resources, and appropriately target interventions to help promote recovery of disaster-afectedcommunities. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10900-021-00966-5.

Background Racial and ethnic minorities have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and have experienced greater financial loss, housing instability, and food insecurity due to COVID-related restrictions. As a result, Black and Hispanic communities may be at greater risk of experiencing psychological distress (PD). Methods Using data collected between October 2020 and January 2021from 906 Black (39%), White (50%), and Hispanic (11%) adults, we assessed racial/ethnic differences in the effect of three COVID-related stressors—employment stress, housing instability, and food insecurity—on PD using ordinary least square regression. Results Black adults reported lower PD levels compared to White adults ( β =  − 0.23, P < 0.001), but Hispanic adults did not differ significantly from White adults. COVID-related housing instability ( β = 0.46, P < 0.001), food insecurity ( β = 0.27, P < 0.001), and employment stress ( β = 0.29, P < 0.001) were associated with higher PD. Employment stress was the only stressor to differentially affect PD by race/ethnicity. Among those that reported employment stress, Black adults had lower levels of distress compared to Whites ( β =  − 0.54, P < 0.001) and Hispanics ( β =  − 0.04, P = 0.85). Conclusion Despite relatively high exposure to COVID-related stressors, Black respondents had lower levels of PD compared to Whites and Hispanics which may reflect differences in race-specific coping mechanisms. Future research is needed to elucidate the nuances of these relationships and identify policies and interventions that prevent and minimize the impact of employment, food, and housing-related stressors and support coping mechanisms that promote mental health among minority populations, such as policies that support easier access to mental health and financial and housing assistance.

Objectives To determine whether actual community-level risk for COVID-19 in the Black community influenced individual perceptions of community-level and personal risk and how self-assessment of personal risk was reflected in the adoption of COVID-19 precautionary behaviors. Methods Semistructured interviews were conducted with 20 Black Chicago adults from February to July 2021. A grounded theory approach was used for the qualitative analysis and initial, focused, and theoretical coding were performed. Results We developed a grounded model consisting of four major themes: (a) Pre-Existing Health Conditions; (b) Presence of COVID-19 Infection in Participant Social Network; (c) COVID-19-Related Information, Participant Trust, and Perceived Personal Risk; and (d) Perceived Higher Burden of COVID-19 in the Black Community. Conclusions Higher perceptions of personal risk were shaped by pre-existing health conditions and experiences with COVID-19 in one’s social network but were not influenced by perceived higher burden of COVID-19 in the Black community. Policy Implications Black adults’ perceptions of their individual risk and precautionary behaviors were not congruent with public health data and recommendations. Therefore, COVID-19 messaging and mitigation should be informed by local community engagement and transparent communication.