Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2015 Feb;203(2):132-40.
doi: 10.1097/NMD.0000000000000249.

Extended family and friendship support networks are both protective and risk factors for major depressive disorder and depressive symptoms among African-Americans and black Caribbeans

Robert Joseph Taylor  1 , David H Chae, Karen D Lincoln, Linda M Chatters
Affiliations

Extended family and friendship support networks are both protective and risk factors for major depressive disorder and depressive symptoms among African-Americans and black Caribbeans

Robert Joseph Taylor et al. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2015 Feb.

Abstract

This study explores relationships between lifetime and 12-month Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) major depressive disorder (MDD), depressive symptoms, and involvement with family and friends within a national sample of African-American and Black Caribbean adults (n = 5191). MDD was assessed using the DSM-IV World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview and depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression subscale and the K6. Findings indicated that among both populations, close supportive ties with family members and friends are associated with lower rates of depression and MDD. For African-Americans, closeness to family members was important for both 12-month and lifetime MDD, and both family and friend closeness were important for depressive symptoms. For Caribbean Blacks, family closeness had more limited associations with outcomes and was directly associated with psychological distress only. Negative interactions with family (conflict, criticisms), however, were associated with higher MDD and depressive symptoms among both African-Americans and Black Caribbeans.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

DISCLOSURE

The authors do not have any commercial associations which may cause a conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Probability of lifetime major depression by negative interaction with family and family closeness among Caribbean participants in the National Survey of American Life (NSAL, 2001–2003).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Probability of 12-month major depression by negative interaction with family and friend closeness among Caribbean participants in the National Survey of American Life (NSAL, 2001–2003).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. American Association for Public Opinion Research. Standard Definitions: Final Dispositions of Case Codes and Outcome Rates for Surveys. 4th edition. Lenexa, Kansas: AAPOR; 2006.
    1. Basch L. Transnational social relations and the politics of national identity: An Eastern Caribbean case study. In: Foner N, editor. Islands in the city: West Indian migration to New York. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press; 2001. pp. 117–141.
    1. Basch L, Schiller NG, Blanc CS. Nations Unbound: Transnational Projects, Postcolonial Predicaments, and Deterritorialized Nation-States. New York: Gordon and Breach; 1994.
    1. Bertera EM. Mental health in U.S. adults: the role of positive social support and social negativity in personal relationships. J Soc Pers Relat. 2005;22:33–48.
    1. Brown SC, Mason CA, Spokane AR, Cruza-Guel MC, Lopez B, Szapocznik J. The relationship of neighborhood climate to perceived social support and mental health in older Hispanic immigrants in Miami, Florida. J Aging Health. 2009;21(3):431–459. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types