Black and White Self-Identified Latinx Respondents and Perceived Psychological Distress and Impairment

Abstract

The influence of racial differences on perceived psychological distress and impairment was examined with a nationally representative sample of Black and White Latinxs. The study sample was selected from multiple years of the National Health Interview Survey and included 30,519 self-identified Black and White Latinxs between the ages of 26 and 64 years. Results indicated that Black Latinxs reported higher levels of psychological distress—a statistically significant difference—compared to White Latinxs after accounting for demographic (age, gender, marital status, and nativity) and socioeconomic status (level of education and health insurance) indicators. Results also indicated that Black and White Latinxs did not differ on impairment associated with perceived psychological distress. The practice of aggregating Black and White Latinxs obscures the racialized experiences reported by Black Latinxs and associated higher levels of psychological distress. Implications and future directions are discussed.

The state of Afrolatinxs in Latinx psychological research: Findings from a content analysis from 2009 to 2020.

“…The results of this content analysis highlight the stark omission of AfroLatinxs in research studies focused on Latinx populations. This dearth of research on AfroLatinxs is concerning, given the higher rates of disparities in physical (e.g., cancer, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity; Borrell, 2009; Borrell & Dallo, 2008) and mental health (e.g., psychological distress; Mena et al, 2011) among AfroLatinxs compared to White Latinxs. However, the continued use of ethnic or panethnic aggregate data to describe the racial experiences of Latinxs fails to address the racial nuances of the Latinx population, perhaps contributing to the invisibility of AfroLatinxs in the empirical research.…”

Color disparities in cognitive aging among Puerto Ricans on the archipelago

“…Second, there is evidence that risk of ADRD and other health conditions may be higher in those with chronic stress, possibly reflected by Black and white Latinos differences in mental health experiences. Black Latinos report higher levels of psychological distress than White Latinos ( Mena et al, 2019 ). Research to-date of how color/race are associated with neurocognitive functioning is indeed limited.…”