Familial incarceration negatively impacts mental health for African American women

More than half of all African American women in the United States report having at least one family member who is incarcerated, causing higher levels of depressive symptoms and psychological distress than previously understood. The findings come from a new paper in the Journal of Marriage and Family, whose lead author, Evelyn J. Patterson, associate professor of sociology and a Vanderbilt Chancellor's Faculty Fellow, said the study sheds new light on the challenges facing African American women. "Most studies that look at the impact of incarceration are examining...