Psychological distress and its potential risk factors among Black and White adult immigrants in the United States - National Health Interview Survey 2005-2018.

OBJECTIVE

Psychological distress is associated with increased likelihood of chronic disease and mortality. Limited research has explored psychological distress among nationally representative minority and immigrant persons, especially Black and White immigrant populations who may be uniquely susceptible to psychological distress, its risk factors, and comorbidities. This current study aimed to estimate the prevalence of moderate to severe (hereafter, moderate-severe) psychological distress and assess its risk factors among Black and White immigrants, respectively.

METHODS

Drawing from the 2005-2018 National Health Interview Surveys data, this study analyzed a sample of Black (n = 5939) and White (n = 40,127) immigrants using weighted Chi-square test and logistic regression analyses. The interaction between race (Black and White immigrants) and each of the predictors was assessed, adjusting for the rest of the predictors.

RESULTS

The prevalence of moderate-severe psychological distress was higher among White immigrants (19.56 %) compared to Black immigrants (17.43 %). Several sociodemographic and behavioral risk factors (i.e., low education, higher BMI, poverty, and smoking) were more strongly associated with elevated distress among Black immigrants. Age, acculturation, and alcohol drinking status significantly moderated the association between race and moderate-severe psychological distress among immigrants.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings revealed that psychological distress prevalence and risk factors differ across Black and White immigrant populations, with more pronounced behavioral risks among Black immigrants. More population-specific mental health interventions may help reduce mental health disparities in immigrant communities while conducting longitudinal studies to characterize mental health patterns and changes with their risk factors over time among immigrant populations.