Authors: Paul A. Robbins, Keisha L. Bentley-Edwards, Loneke T. Blackman Carr, Eugenia Conde, Richard Van Vliet, and William A. Darity Jr.
Abstract: Religion and spirituality (R/S) play a central role in shaping the contextual experiences of many Black people in the United States. Blacks are among the most religiously engaged groups in the country. Levels and types of religious engagement, however, can vary by subcategories such as gender or denominational affiliation. Although R/S involvement has been linked to improved mental health outcomes for Black people in general, it is unclear whether these benefits extend to all Black people who claim R/S affiliation irrespective of denomination and gender. Data from the National Survey of American Life (NSAL) sought to determine whether there are differences in the odds of reporting elevated depressive symptomology among African American and Black Caribbean Christian adults across denominational affiliation and gender. Initial logistic regression analysis found similar odds of elevated depressive symptoms across gender and denominational affiliation, but further analysis revealed the presence of a denomination by gender interaction. Specifically, there was a significantly larger gender gap in the odds of reporting elevated depression symptoms for Methodists than for Baptists and Catholics. In addition, Presbyterian women had lower odds of reporting elevated symptoms than Methodist women. This study’s findings highlight the importance of examining denominational disparities among Black Christians, and suggest that denomination and gender may work in tandem to shape the R/S experiences and mental health outcomes of Black people in the United States.
Key Findings
- Unsurprisingly, the researchers detected gaps in the prevalence of these symptoms across a number of these factors. Participants had lower odds of reporting elevated depression symptoms if they were older, more educated, from the South, employed, or more subjectively healthy when compared to participants in the respective reference groups.
- Studying the intersection of depression and gender also led to compelling results. Gender differences in prevalence of elevated depression symptoms differed by denomination: The gender gap was approximately 2-3 times larger between Methodist men and women than it was for Baptists and Catholics, respectively.
- The authors suggest that since the gender gaps for Baptists and Catholics were significantly smaller than for Methodists, it may signify that Baptists and Catholics make more gender-neutral distinctions about the acceptability or unacceptability of experiencing depression.
- In sum, the paper underscores the importance of disaggregating the cluster of all Black religious individuals. Approaching this type of investigation with greater nuance will aid in the treatment of these groups and allow for better outcomes for all.
