Abstract
Objectives: Many existing studies have reported a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms among older Black Americans. They also experience a disproportionate burden of multimorbidity, the presence of multiple chronic conditions. Therefore, this study was to identify the association between depressive symptomatology and multimorbidity among older Black Americans. Methods: This study analyzed the 2014 Health and Retirement Study (N = 1206). A negative binomial regression was applied to assess the association between multimorbidity and depressive symptomatology. Results: Higher levels of chronic health problems were associated with higher levels of depressive symptomatology among older Black Americans (Incidence rate ratio = 1.093; p = .002). Lower self-reported health, lower income, and lower educational attainment were also related to higher depressive symptoms. Discussion: Older Black Americans experience vulnerability on multiple levels, and shouldering additional psychosocial and financial burdens adds to already established physical health disparities. This requires critical attention from both practice and policy.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
