Gendered racism, anxiety, and depression: the mediating roles of gendered racialized stress and social isolation

Tamara Nelson, Monique J. Brown, Isis Garcia-Rodriguez, Oswaldo Moreno

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

22 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective: Black women experience unique stressors linked to the intersection of racism and sexism (i.e. gendered racism). While the negative effects of gendered racism are associated with Black women's health, less is known about factors that describe these relationships. Design: Using data from 263 Black women, we used path analysis to examine direct and indirect effects of gendered racism on anxiety and depression through gendered racialized stress. We also examined the direct and indirect effects of gendered racialized stress on anxiety and depression through social isolation. Results: After adjusting for covariates, gendered racism, and gendered racialized stress were not statistically significant predictors of anxiety and depression. However, gendered racism was a statistically significant predictor of gendered racialized stress. Also, social isolation mediated the relationships between gendered racism, gendered racialized stress, and anxiety, as well as depression. Conclusions: Stress from gendered racism is associated with loneliness, which can negatively impact Black women's mental health. Findings suggest that gendered racialized stress and social isolation is important for understanding the relationship between gendered racism and mental health outcomes, such as anxiety and depression.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)12-28
Number of pages17
JournalEthnicity and Health
Volume28
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 2023

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Cultural Studies
  • Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Keywords

  • Black women
  • Gendered racism
  • anxiety
  • depression
  • gendered racialized stress

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