Vicarious Discrimination Through Spouses and Mental Health Among Middle-Aged Black Adults

Abstract

The goal of this work was to examine the relationship between vicarious exposures to major discrimination through the adverse experiences of spouses and mental health among middle-aged and older Black adults. The present study used data from the Nashville Stress and Health Study to investigate the relationship between spousal discrimination and depressive and anxiety symptoms among a subsample of Black adults aged 50 years and older (n = 219). Findings revealed that vicarious exposures to major discrimination through spouses’ experiences were linked with increased levels of symptoms of both depression and anxiety, even after accounting for exposure to additional psychosocial stressors. Our findings suggest that vicarious, in addition to personal, exposures to discrimination over the life span shape the well-being and mental health of Black adults. This work provides novel insights for health equity research and extends the body of work on racism as a social determinant of health.