A sociocultural stress and coping model for mental health outcomes among African American caregivers in southern California

A sociocultural stress and coping model to explain emotional distress among caregivers of family memers who have dementia across ethnic and cultural g roups is presented and explored in a sample of 41 African American and 128 non-African American caregivers. In this sample, African American caregiver s reported lower levels of burden but equal levels of depression and anxiet y. In the structural equation model, previous reports that African American s' loner appraisal of caregiving as burdensome resulted in lower levels of emotional distress were confirmed. However, in this model, this pathway was counterbalanced by a tendency of African American caregivers to use emotio n-focused coping and, therefore, increase emotional distress. African Ameri can caregivers were also younger and in poorer health, factors which tend t o increase both burden and emotional distress outcomes. As suggested hy the sociocultural stress and coping model, the influences of ethnic group vari ables on stress and coping processes are complex and multidirectional.