A new study suggests that more affluent black youth are more likely to suffer from depression than white youth from similar socioeconomic status (SES).
“The higher rates of depression among Black youth, according to Assari, could be a response to many societal situations. One situation, Assari proposed, could be wealthy Black families living in predominantly white neighborhoods, which could lead to higher rates of discrimination and depression.
He also suggested the distance these Black families have from other Black communities could result in a lack of an emotional support group and mental health resources. However, Assari maintained more research must be done in this field to explore the dominant reasons for why these high depression rates occur in Black high-SES populations.”
The Root points out another fact which supports the hypothesis — whites with a lower SES tend to be much less resilient than blacks with lower SES; whereas, blacks with higher SES struggle with stress and depression more than whites in a higher SES.
That certainly does suggest there’s a role for isolation in all this.
“….the high rates of stress among affluent blacks could be the result of a coping mechanism called “goal-striving stress.” Often prevalent in black achievers, it is the stress and disappointment experienced when achievements don’t match one’s aspirations. The glass ceilings encountered by black populations often lead to poor mental health.”
