Negative life events, religiosity and spirituality, and depression among African Americans

Abstract

Previous research suggests that negative life events are linked to the occurrence of depressive symptoms. For African Americans, engaging in religious and spiritual activities is often utilized as a coping mechanism when faced with various types of life stressors. This study sought to explore the main effects and interactive relations among negative life events, religiosity and spirituality, and depressive symptomatology among a sample of 963 African American men and women. Results revealed significant main effects for women in the study. For men, religious and spiritual variables moderated the relationship between negative life events and depressive symptoms. A trend emerged such that religious and spiritual participation were related to lower depressive symptoms for men and women. These findings suggest that religious and spiritual participation may buffer the level of depressive symptoms African Americans experience when facing negative life events.