Racism-related stress and psychological distress: Black Women’s Experiences Living with Lupus study

Evelyn A. Hunter, Erica C. Spears, Connor D. Martz, Kara Chung, Thomas E. Fuller-Rowell, S. Sam Lim, Cristina Drenkard, David H. Chae

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

Disparate health consequences in African American women with systemic lupus erythematosus include greater severity of physical and psychological distress. Racism-related stress is also related to psychological distress correlates in this population. This study examined the relationships between racism-related experiences, psychological distress, and systemic lupus erythematosus activity in 430 African American women from the Black Women’s Experiences Living with Lupus study. The structural equation model suggests that psychological distress mediates the relationship between racism-related stress and systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity. The impact of racism-related stress on systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity may occur primarily through their impact on psychological health variables. Implications for clinical care and future directions are explored.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2374-2389
Number of pages16
JournalJournal of Health Psychology
Volume26
Issue number13
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2021

Keywords

  • chronic illness
  • health psychology
  • psychological distress
  • race
  • racism

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