The goal of primary prevention is to reduce the incidence of psychiatric morbidity in groups known to be at risk of developing various psychiatric disorders. Epidemiologic research can be utilized to identify groups at risk and important modifiable risk factors that contribute to the development of psychopathology. This secondary analysis proposal will identify sociodemographic and psychosocial correlates of psychological distress in black and white Americans. This will be accomplished through the use of three regional datasets (The Detroit Study of Family Health and Blood Pressure; The Rand Health Insurance Experiment; The Florida Health Study) and one national cross-sectional sample of the adult black population (The National Survey of Black Americans). Previous analyses of race and mental health have yielded results which need to be subjected to more in-depth and rigorous analyses. Through secondary analyses on large representative sample surveys, this proposal will study information on risk factors in two areas. First, it will ascertain the relative importance of exposure and response to stress between blacks and whites. Second, it will identify more specific risk groups and risk factors within the black population. The knowledge gained from these analyses can be used as a basis for primary prevention activities in black communities.
| Kessler, R C; Neighbors, H W (1986) A new perspective on the relationships among race, social class, and psychological distress. J Health Soc Behav 27:107-15 |
