The Cumulative Influence of Perceived Discrimination, Stress, and Coping Responses on Symptoms of Depression Among Young African American Mothers

Background: African American women have an elevated risk for experiencing depressive symptoms, and discrimination, stress, and coping contribute to symptoms of depression. Aims: We aimed to examine the associations between discrimination, stress, and coping on symptoms of depression among young African American mothers. Methods: In this retrospective study, we utilized a hierarchical linear regression to explore the effects of perceived racial discrimination, stress, and general and discrimination-related coping responses on depressive symptoms in a sample of African American mothers (N = 250). The data were drawn from the Intergenerational Impact of Genetic and Psychological Factors on Blood Pressure study (InterGEN), a study conducted between 2014 and 2019 and based in Connecticut. Results: After accounting for maternal age, level of education, and income, greater perceived racial discrimination (p = .03), higher levels of stress (p < .001), greater engagement in avoidance coping (p < .001), and use of passive coping responses to discrimination (p = .04) were uniquely associated with increased depressive symptoms. Other forms of coping, specifically, problem-solving and support seeking, did not appear to influence depressive symptoms in this sample. Conclusion: The findings highlight the negative impact of discrimination, heightened stress, and maladaptive coping on the emotional health of young African American mothers.