INTRODUCTION: Racism is a public health crisis in the United States disproportionately affecting African American women. The stress stemming from racism contributes to significant physical and mental health disparities, including a heightened risk of depressive symptoms. Despite African American women experiencing the highest levels of race-related stress and its associated adverse health outcomes, research exploring this association remains limited.
DESIGN: This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the impact of stress from racism on depressive symptoms among young African American women. The analysis was derived from a community-recruited sample of 560 African American women 18–24 years in Atlanta, Georgia. Participants were assessed for stress from racism, depressive symptoms, alcohol use, and emotional, physical, vaginal, and anal abuse.
METHOD: Logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association between racism-related stress and depressive symptoms, which were measured using the 8-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D 8).
RESULTS: Approximately 34% of women reported high depressive symptoms. Higher levels of stress due to racism were associated with a 127% increase in the odds of experiencing depressive symptoms (p = 0.007). No significant associations were observed between depression and physical, vaginal, or anal abuse or with STIs, age, education, or employment status when accounting for stress due to racism.
CONCLUSION: This study describes the impact of racism-related stress on depressive symptoms among young African American women. The findings highlight the importance of integrating assessments for racism-related stress into routine healthcare to enhance early detection and management of depressive symptoms, which may contribute to reducing health disparities. Future research should further explore racism as a critical determinant of depressive symptoms, examining whether different forms of racism—structural, interpersonal, healthcare-related, and community-based—have varying impacts on the prevalence, chronicity, and severity of depression.
Association of stress from racism and high depressive symptomatology among a community sample of young African American women
Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities [Epub 2025 Nov 21]. doi: 10.1007/s40615-025-02745-7.