Racism and Illicit Drug Use Among African American Women

Abstract

Though recent evidence indicates that rates of illicit drug use among African American women are now higher than the national average, little is known about the etiology of substance use in this population. In addition, the effects of racism and other cultural factors are understudied and may be unique amongst African American women. This cross-sectional study explores risk and protective factors for drug use among 204 African American women. More specifically, associations between racism experiences and drug use are investigated in the context of potential moderating influences (i.e., psychosocial resources, social safety net variables, and cultural identity and practices). Findings suggest that racism is associated with drug use, but that its effects diminish with age. In addition, results suggest that psychosocial resources, social safety net factors and culturally specific factors like ethnic community membership and engagement in cultural practices afford African American women some protection against the detrimental effects of racism.

John Henryism Active Coping as a Cultural Correlate of Substance Abuse Treatment Participation Among African American Women

“…Data for this current study are from a larger stratified study examining epidemiological outcomes among drug-using and non-drug using African American women across the criminal justice system (Stanton-Tindall, Duvall, Stevens-Watkins, & Oser, 2013; Stevens-Watkins, Sharma, Knighton, Oser, & Leukefeld, 2014; Stevens-Watkins, Perry, Harp, & Oser, 2012). Participants were asked if they had used an illicit substance in the past year (0 = “No” and 1 = “Yes”).…”

The Role of Stressful Life Events and Cultural Factors on Criminal Thinking Among African American Women Involved in the Criminal Justice System

“…Gendered racism operates on multiple levels, meaning it can be individual and institutional, and does not affect the recipient in a vacuum (Stevens-Watkins et al, 2012). On the individual level, the perception of gendered racism can at times be very subtle (e.g., micro-aggressions) and even ambiguous.…”

Substance use disorders among African, Caribbean and Black (ACB) people in Canada: a scoping review protocol

“…Research confirms that social inequities, systemic racial discrimination, sexism, poverty and marginalisation contribute to the compromised mental health among racialised people 5. Evidence also indicates that some marginalised ACB people turn to substance use as a coping strategy to overcome cumulative hardship and stressful life conditions 6. Depending on different factors such as the type of drugs used, doses, frequency and pre-existing health conditions, drug use can have various short-term and long-term health and social effects such as heart attack, crime, stroke, healthcare spending, drug dependence, change in blood pressure, violence, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C virus, mental health issues, overdose and ultimately death 7 8…”