Daphne C. Watkins, Ph.D.
University of Michigan
Junior Investigator, Vulnerable Populations
Project Title: The Influence of Psychosocial Factors on the Mental Health of Black Men in America
"The New Connections Initiative award came highly recommended by a colleague, and I knew that the Foundation had a reputation for working side-by-side with junior investigators to expand diverse perspectives that inform the Foundation's programming objectives. I believe that the New Connections award has helped advance my career to the next level. The award has allowed me to establish myself as an independent researcher as well as build relationships with individuals (at the Foundation and across the country) who I will continue to collaborate with even after the funding has ceased. I am grateful for the New Connections Initiative award because it has helped bring research on black men and mental health to the forefront and receive the national attention that it deserves."
Project Description
Black men face greater psychosocial stressors than other groups, which also places them at greater risk for mental health problems. Past approaches to studying the mental health of black men have been limited due to challenges in identifying the variables that best explain their mental health.
Watkins' study uses cross-sectional data from the National Survey of American Life (NSAL) to examine the influence of psychosocial factors on the mental health of black men at early, middle and late adulthood.
Use of the NSAL data, obtained from the University of Michigan's Program for Research on Black Americans, is pertinent to this study because it was used to explore inter-and intra-group racial and ethnic differences in psychosocial distress and mental disorders, as well as the influences of a variety of stressors, coping resources and help-seeking strategies among national samples of African Americans, or blacks.
The purpose of this study is to increase our understanding of the mental health of black men. Specific aims are to: (a) identify the psychosocial factors that help shape the mental health of black men; (b) examine the impact of these psychosocial factors on their mental health; and (c) pinpoint strategies that focus on improving and maintaining mental health outcomes for black men.
Three research questions will be addressed: (1) What are the psychosocial factors that influence the mental health of black men at early, middle, and late adulthood?; (2) How do psychosocial processes stimulate major depression and anxiety disorders in black men at early, middle, and late adulthood?; and (3) What are the implications for future programs geared toward improving and maintaining the mental health of black men?
Identifying the psychosocial factors that influence mental health for black men is informed by models that identify the strengths and weaknesses of black men within and across levels and at different periods over their life course. These models will improve our understanding of the risk and protective factors associated with mental health and illness among black men and assist in developing strategies to improve and maintain their mental health.
Biography
Daphne C. Watkins, Ph.D., is a research investigator in the department of obstetrics and gynecology and the Program for Research on Black Americans at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. She has devoted her professional career to health promotion and disease prevention among underserved individuals and communities.
Watkins' interests include research on gender disparities in mental health and illness, health education and behavior and intervention/prevention research. Currently, she is studying how gender differences influence the mental health of Black Americans over the life course.
She has produced a growing number of publications that underline gender role socialization and mental health - particularly with regard to the Black American experience. An anthropologist and health educator by training, Watkins applies both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to her research to increase our knowledge on the influence of psychological distress on the health and health behaviors of minority populations.
Watkins received her doctorate in health education from Texas A&M University. Upon receipt of her doctorate, she completed a National Institute of Mental Health-funded postdoctoral fellowship at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan.
