Do Religious Struggles Mediate the Association between Day-to-Day Discrimination and Depressive Symptoms?
Although numerous studies have shown that discrimination contributes to poorer mental health, the precise mechanisms underlying this association are not well understood. In this paper, we consider the possibility that the association between day-to-day discrimination (being disrespected, insulted, a...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2017-07-01
|
| Series: | Religions |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/8/8/134 |
| _version_ | 1819044651315757056 |
|---|---|
| author | Terrence D. Hill C. André Christie-Mizell Preeti Vaghela Krysia N. Mossakowski Robert J. Johnson |
| author_facet | Terrence D. Hill C. André Christie-Mizell Preeti Vaghela Krysia N. Mossakowski Robert J. Johnson |
| author_sort | Terrence D. Hill |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Although numerous studies have shown that discrimination contributes to poorer mental health, the precise mechanisms underlying this association are not well understood. In this paper, we consider the possibility that the association between day-to-day discrimination (being disrespected, insulted, and harassed) and depressive symptoms is partially mediated by religious struggles (religious doubts and negative religious coping). To test our mediation model, we use data collected from the 2011 Miami-Dade Health Survey (n = 444) to estimate a series of multiple regression models assessing associations among day-to-day discrimination, religious struggles, and depressive symptoms. We find that day-to-day discrimination is positively associated with religious struggles and depressive symptoms, net of adjustments for general religious involvement, age, gender, race, ethnicity, immigrant status, interview language, education, employment, household income, financial strain, and marital status. We also observe that religious struggles are positively associated with depressive symptoms. Our mediation analyses confirm that day-to-day discrimination can contribute to depressive symptoms by stirring religious struggles. Our key finding is that religious struggles may serve as a maladaptive coping response to discrimination. Our analyses extend previous work by bridging research in the areas of discrimination, religious struggles, and mental health. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T10:16:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7ad89dca33ed48ccbfbaba2935e4ee3a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T10:16:04Z |
| publishDate | 2017-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-7ad89dca33ed48ccbfbaba2935e4ee3a2022-12-21T19:07:35ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442017-07-018813410.3390/rel8080134rel8080134Do Religious Struggles Mediate the Association between Day-to-Day Discrimination and Depressive Symptoms?Terrence D. Hill0C. André Christie-Mizell1Preeti Vaghela2Krysia N. Mossakowski3Robert J. Johnson4School of Sociology, The University of Arizona, Social Sciences 400, P.O. Box 210027, Tucson, AZ 85721-0027, USADepartment of Sociology, Vanderbilt University, PMB 351811, Nashville, TN 37235-1811, USADepartment of Sociology, Florida State University, 600 W. College Avenue, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USADepartment of Sociology, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, 2424 Mailem Way, Saunders 215, Honolulu, HI 96822, USADepartment of Sociology, University of Miami, 5202 University Dr., Merrick Building, Rm 120, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USAAlthough numerous studies have shown that discrimination contributes to poorer mental health, the precise mechanisms underlying this association are not well understood. In this paper, we consider the possibility that the association between day-to-day discrimination (being disrespected, insulted, and harassed) and depressive symptoms is partially mediated by religious struggles (religious doubts and negative religious coping). To test our mediation model, we use data collected from the 2011 Miami-Dade Health Survey (n = 444) to estimate a series of multiple regression models assessing associations among day-to-day discrimination, religious struggles, and depressive symptoms. We find that day-to-day discrimination is positively associated with religious struggles and depressive symptoms, net of adjustments for general religious involvement, age, gender, race, ethnicity, immigrant status, interview language, education, employment, household income, financial strain, and marital status. We also observe that religious struggles are positively associated with depressive symptoms. Our mediation analyses confirm that day-to-day discrimination can contribute to depressive symptoms by stirring religious struggles. Our key finding is that religious struggles may serve as a maladaptive coping response to discrimination. Our analyses extend previous work by bridging research in the areas of discrimination, religious struggles, and mental health.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/8/8/134discriminationreligious strugglesreligious doubtsnegative religious copingdepression |
| spellingShingle | Terrence D. Hill C. André Christie-Mizell Preeti Vaghela Krysia N. Mossakowski Robert J. Johnson Do Religious Struggles Mediate the Association between Day-to-Day Discrimination and Depressive Symptoms? Religions discrimination religious struggles religious doubts negative religious coping depression |
| title | Do Religious Struggles Mediate the Association between Day-to-Day Discrimination and Depressive Symptoms? |
| title_full | Do Religious Struggles Mediate the Association between Day-to-Day Discrimination and Depressive Symptoms? |
| title_fullStr | Do Religious Struggles Mediate the Association between Day-to-Day Discrimination and Depressive Symptoms? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Do Religious Struggles Mediate the Association between Day-to-Day Discrimination and Depressive Symptoms? |
| title_short | Do Religious Struggles Mediate the Association between Day-to-Day Discrimination and Depressive Symptoms? |
| title_sort | do religious struggles mediate the association between day to day discrimination and depressive symptoms |
| topic | discrimination religious struggles religious doubts negative religious coping depression |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/8/8/134 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT terrencedhill doreligiousstrugglesmediatetheassociationbetweendaytodaydiscriminationanddepressivesymptoms AT candrechristiemizell doreligiousstrugglesmediatetheassociationbetweendaytodaydiscriminationanddepressivesymptoms AT preetivaghela doreligiousstrugglesmediatetheassociationbetweendaytodaydiscriminationanddepressivesymptoms AT krysianmossakowski doreligiousstrugglesmediatetheassociationbetweendaytodaydiscriminationanddepressivesymptoms AT robertjjohnson doreligiousstrugglesmediatetheassociationbetweendaytodaydiscriminationanddepressivesymptoms |