Abstract

This study extends research linking criminal justice contact to mental health by examining the mediating role of perceived racial discrimination among African American women. We hypothesize that criminal justice contact will increase perceptions of racial discrimination, which in turn, will increase the risk of depressive symptoms. Using survey data from 688 African American women living in communities characterized by high poverty, a path analysis was used to test our hypotheses. We find that perceived racial discrimination mediates the relationship between various forms of criminal justice contact and depressive symptoms in women. This evidence underscores the need for additional research on the nature and frequency of discrimination experiences in studies of criminal justice contact and mental health. Results are discussed in terms of implications for criminal justice policies and practice.

摘要

这项研究通过研究非裔美国女性中种族歧视的中介作用，扩展了将刑事司法接触与心理健康联系起来的研究。我们假设刑事司法接触会增加人们对种族歧视的认识，从而增加患抑郁症的风险。利用来自688位生活在高贫困社区中的非洲裔美国妇女的调查数据，使用路径分析来检验我们的假设。我们发现，种族歧视介导了各种形式的刑事司法联系与妇女的抑郁症状之间的关系。该证据强调了在刑事司法联系和心理健康研究中需要进一步研究歧视经历的性质和频率。