Changes in experiences with discrimination across pregnancy and postpartum: age differences and consequences for mental health.

Am J Public Health

Lisa Rosenthal is with the Psychology Department, Pace University, New York, NY. Valerie A. Earnshaw, Jessica B. Lewis, and Jeannette R. Ickovics are with the Yale School of Public Health and the Yale Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS, Yale University, New Haven, CT. Tené T. Lewis is with the Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA. Allecia E. Reid is with the Psychology Department, Colby College, Waterville, ME. Emily C. Stasko is with the Department of Psychology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA. Jonathan N. Tobin is with the Clinical Directors Network, New York, NY.

Published: April 2015

Objectives: We aimed to contribute to growing research and theory suggesting the importance of examining patterns of change over time and critical life periods to fully understand the effects of discrimination on health, with a focus on the period of pregnancy and postpartum and mental health outcomes.

Methods: We used hierarchical linear modeling to examine changes across pregnancy and postpartum in everyday discrimination and the resulting consequences for mental health among predominantly Black and Latina, socioeconomically disadvantaged young women who were receiving prenatal care in New York City.

Results: Patterns of change in experiences with discrimination varied according to age. Among the youngest participants, discrimination increased from the second to third trimesters and then decreased to lower than the baseline level by 1 year postpartum; among the oldest participants, discrimination decreased from the second trimester to 6 months postpartum and then returned to the baseline level by 1 year postpartum. Within-subjects changes in discrimination over time predicted changes in depressive and anxiety symptoms at subsequent points. Discrimination more strongly predicted anxiety symptoms among participants reporting food insecurity.

Conclusions: Our results support a life course approach to understanding the impact of experiences with discrimination on health and when to intervene.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4264991PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2014.301906DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

experiences discrimination
12
pregnancy postpartum
12
mental health
12
discrimination
9
consequences mental
8
patterns change
8
discrimination health
8
participants discrimination
8
baseline level
8
level year
8

Similar Publications

Background And Purpose: Discrimination is the unfair or prejudicial treatment of people and groups based on certain characteristics. Discrimination in health care can impede access to quality care for patients and lead to poor health outcomes. This study aimed to investigate factors, including race and ethnicity, associated with discrimination in health care in the United States.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Ancestral Black Nova Scotian (ABNS) nurses are a culturally distinct group yet, little is known about their experiences. Available literature suggests that ABNS nurses are underrepresented in nursing and that they encounter discrimination throughout the health system. Understanding the experiences of ABNS nurses facilitates addressing antiBlack racism in nursing and healthcare.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The Public Mental Health Framework: thinking about law as preventive medicine.

Med Law Rev

January 2025

Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3053, Australia.

Health, mental health, and well-being are not 'natural' but are shaped by social and environmental factors. This article aims to reorient the development of all laws and policies to do more to prevent mental ill-health and promote well-being as a core function of the contemporary state. It introduces a new conceptual and empirical model, the Public Mental Health Framework, based on three areas of research: (i) the social determinants of health and mental health, which include social structures and daily living conditions (such as poverty, inequality, education, employment, discrimination, adverse childhood experiences, and crime); (ii) health and human rights; and (iii) the intermediate social model of disability.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Role of the Veterans Health Administration's LGBTQ+ Veteran Care Coordinators in Facilitating Care for Transgender and Gender-Diverse Veterans.

Perm J

January 2025

Center for Health Information and Communication, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Health Systems Research, Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN, USA.

Introduction: Transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) individuals frequently encounter discrimination in health care settings. The Veterans Health Administration (VA) is committed to addressing the health disparities experienced by TGD veterans. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of TGD veterans with LGBTQ+ veteran care coordinators.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: People who are transgender or gender diverse (PTGD) often experience difficulties navigating the health care system due to a variety of factors such as lack of knowledgeable and/or culturally competent clinicians, discrimination, and structural and/or socioeconomic barriers. We sought to determine whether a peer health navigator service in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan helped connect transgender and gender-diverse clients and health care practitioners (HCPs) to resources, and how this service changed their health care experiences.

Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 9 clients and 9 HCPs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!