Correlates of Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms among Black Caribbean Americans

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Citation

Williams, Monnica T.; Taylor, Robert Joseph; George, Jamilah R.; Schlaudt, Victoria A.; Ifatunji, Mosi Adesina; & Chatters, Linda M. (2021). Correlates of Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms among Black Caribbean Americans. International Journal of Mental Health, 50(1), 53-77. PMCID: PMC8034584

Abstract

Despite the rapid growth of the Black Caribbean population in the United States, we know little about the presentation and prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) among these groups. This study examines the demographic correlates and the effect of racial discrimination on OCD symptoms among a nationally-representative sample of Black Caribbean and African American adults (n = 5191). Drawing on the Composite International Diagnostic Interview Short Form (CIDI-SF) for OCD, we examine two types of obsessions (harm and contamination) and four types of compulsions (repeating, washing, ordering, and counting). There we no significant differences between Black Caribbeans and African Americans in obsessions and compulsions. Analysis among Black Caribbeans found that compared with Jamaican and Trinidadian Americans, Haitian American individuals reported the fewest number of obsessions and compulsions. We show that Black Caribbean Americans with lower income, lower self-rated physic & and mental health, and more experiences with racial discrimination report higher levels of OCD. More specifically, racial discrimination was associated with contamination and harm obsessions, as well as washing and repeating compulsions. Our findings highlight the need to consider specific domains of OCD relative to Black Caribbeans, and the relationship between social and demographic variables on symptomology.

URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00207411.2020.1826261

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year Published

2021

Journal Title

International Journal of Mental Health

Author(s)

Williams, Monnica T.
Taylor, Robert Joseph
George, Jamilah R.
Schlaudt, Victoria A.
Ifatunji, Mosi Adesina
Chatters, Linda M.

Article Type

Regular

PMCID

PMC8034584

Data Set/Study

National Survey of American Life: Coping with Stress in the 21st Century (NSAL)

Continent/Country

United States of America

State

Nonspecific

Race/Ethnicity

Black Caribbean
African-American
Jamaican American
Trinidadian American
Haitian American

ORCiD

Ifatunji - 0000-0001-7248-8832