Let Go and Let God: A Study of Religiosity and Depressive Symptoms in the Black Church

Davenport, A; McClintock, Heather F.

doi:10.1007/s10597-020-00757-7

Cited by 9 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…This was an unexpected finding given the statistically significant bivariate correlation we observed between the two factors and prior research demonstrating an inverse relationship between subjective religiosity and mental health more broadly (Nguyen, 2020). However, some studies have also failed to find an association between religiosity and major depressive disorder (Hudson et al, 2015) and depressive symptoms (Davenport & McClintock, 2021; Taylor et al, 2012). A possible reason for our null findings is that other aspects of religion among Black Americans (i.e., religious coping, religious social support, service attendance) may be more salient for mitigating depressive symptoms.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hope, Purpose, and Religiosity: The Impact of Psychosocial Resources on Trajectories of Depressive Symptoms Among Middle-Aged and Older Blacks

2022

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Objective: We assessed the effects of hope, purpose in life, and religiosity on trajectories of depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older Blacks, with a focus on age differences in these associations. Methods: Data come from 1906 respondents from the 2006–2016 Health and Retirement Study. Linear mixed models were estimated and included interactions between age and time and between age and each psychosocial resource. Results: Depressive symptoms decreased for Blacks ages 51–64, did not change for those 65–74, and increased among Blacks age 75+. Hope and purpose in life were inversely associated with symptom levels but were not associated with change over time in symptomology. Associations were stronger among the youngest age group and weakest among the oldest. Religiosity was unrelated to depressive symptoms. Discussion: Psychosocial resources protect against depressive symptoms in age-dependent ways among middle-aged and older Blacks. Differences in these effects may be related to aging, cohort, and selection effects.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hope, Purpose, and Religiosity: The Impact of Psychosocial Resources on Trajectories of Depressive Symptoms Among Middle-Aged and Older Blacks

2022

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“…Religiosity has also been shown to affect other measures of well-being such as depression. Generally, higher levels of religiosity have been associated with better well-being ( Koenig et al, 2001 ) and lower levels of depression (for a review, see Smith et al, 2003 ; Braam and Koenig, 2019 ; Davenport and McClintock, 2021 ). However, the literature indicates a complex relationship pattern between one’s level of religiosity and use of religious coping on mental health indices; both positive and negative religious coping can lead to either improved or reduced well-being, respectively ( Ano and Vasconcelles, 2005 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Higher Residence Attachment and Religiosity Are Associated With Less Depressive Symptoms After Terror Event Exposure

2021

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Introduction: We examined how community type, residence attachment, and religiosity contribute to resilience to depressive symptoms, psychosomatic complaints, residential stress, and avoidance behavior among students exposed to terror.Methods: Undergraduate students from Ariel University (N = 1,413; 62.7% females; Mage = 26.5; SD = 6.03) completed a self-report questionnaire on socio-demographics, terror exposure, place attachment, and depressive/psychosomatic symptoms. Participants were divided into three residential groups: “Ariel,” “Small settlement communities in Judea and Samaria” or “Other places in Israel.”Results: Participants from small settlement communities in Judea and Samaria showed significantly fewer depressive symptoms and greater adjustment– less avoidance, psychosomatic symptoms, and residential stress– compared to those living in Ariel or other places in Israel, despite significantly higher exposure to terror.Conclusion: Greater religiosity and residence attachment may protect against depressive symptom development following terror exposure. Secular, temporary residents living in highly terror-exposed areas should be targeted for community strengthening interventions.

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“…Research has demonstrated that religious involvement (Davenport & McClintock, 2021a), group identification (Kearns et al, 2018), and culture mediate the impact of stigma on mental healthcare service utilization and informal care-seeking (e.g., pastoral counseling, prayer, faith-centered support groups, etc.). Previous work in sociology, psychology, and population health indicates that actively belonging to a religious organization can reinforce stigma (Peteet, 2019).…”

Section: Intersectional Complexities Of Race and Religiosity On Menta...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…and informal care utilization (e.g., attending a ministry meeting, meeting with the pastor, etc.). In another that sought to investigate the mediation of depressive symptom reduction by type of religious involvement, Davenport et al (2021a) found that organizational religiosity may be related to an individual-level reduction depressive symptom. The authors hypothesized that the correlational relationship between symptom reduction and organizational religiosity might result from the sophisticated social needs and caring infrastructures common in congregations seated in an African American Christian faith.…”

Section: The Impact Of Religious Involvement On Treatment Utilization...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Co-design and evaluation of a smartphone-based mental health promotion and anti-stigma embodied conversational agent for church-affiliated Black adults

O'Leary

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Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, with significant racial and ethnic disparities in diagnosis and treatment. Although Black adults in the United States are disproportionately exposed to psychosocial stressors, only one in four Black adults who need mental healthcare receive it, partly due to mental health stigma. This dissertation investigates using a smartphone-based Embodied Conversational Agent (ECA) counselor to reduce mental health stigma in the community to support mental health care-seeking intentions. Given the importance of religion in the lives of many African Americans and pre-existing close social relationships, this work was centered in predominately Black and African American faith communities. My dissertation research is the culmination of four years of community-engaged work in predominantly Black churches in Boston.During initial formative work, I created unique co-design methodologies to facilitate participant design contributions as a mechanism for designing technical innovations that reflect community goals, priorities, and cultural values. During this phase, participants identified their communities' assets and their most pressing health concerns, contributed to early design concepts and modalities, and emphasized the importance of creating features that address multiple facets of well-being. This work culminated in a field deployment that evaluated an initial version of an ECA-based mHealth application intervening on physical, social, and spiritual well-being.Leveraging these findings from earlier phases of this research, I synthesized a set of guiding design principles for developing digital mental health promotion interventions for predominantly Black church communities. In conjunction with principles from stigma theory and counseling psychology, I developed and evaluated an ECA-facilitated depression and stigmareduction intervention in a 14-day field deployment with 12 church members. The primary aim of this work was to develop a smartphone-based ECA to promote mental health and build a culture of community support for those experiencing mental illness.Participants found the mental health and stigma-reduction intervention acceptable, providing a range of satisfaction ratings significantly above neutral. Qualitative findings revealed how the application facilitated shifts in attitudes toward mental health and illness, primed care-seeking behaviors, and was used to support members experiencing mental illness.iii Acknowledgements Dear reader, if I have learned one thing during this academic journey, it would be that research and dissertations are never done alone. Over the last five years, I have had the invaluable support of mentors, lab mates, family, friends and participants. I'm lucky to have such a large community of people who have rallied around me.First, this work was conducted alongside and in collaboration with a team of investigators, support staff, and other PhD students. This work could not have come to fruition without these folks, and I'm grateful for th...

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Let Go and Let God: A Study of Religiosity and Depressive Symptoms in the Black Church

Cited by 9 publications

References 42 publications

Hope, Purpose, and Religiosity: The Impact of Psychosocial Resources on Trajectories of Depressive Symptoms Among Middle-Aged and Older Blacks

Hope, Purpose, and Religiosity: The Impact of Psychosocial Resources on Trajectories of Depressive Symptoms Among Middle-Aged and Older Blacks

Higher Residence Attachment and Religiosity Are Associated With Less Depressive Symptoms After Terror Event Exposure

Co-design and evaluation of a smartphone-based mental health promotion and anti-stigma embodied conversational agent for church-affiliated Black adults

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