Publications [#256968] of Scott M. Lynch

Peer Reviewed Articles & Book Chapters

1. George, LK; Lynch, SM, Race differences in depressive symptoms: a dynamic perspective on stress exposure and vulnerability., Journal of health and social behavior, vol. 44 no. 3 (September, 2003), pp. 353-369, ISSN 0022-1465
   (last updated on 2025/06/15)

   Abstract:
   The existence, nature, and strength of race differences in mental health remain unclear after several decades of research. In this research, we examine black-white differences in the relationship between acute stressors and depressive symptoms. We reframe the stress exposure and differential vulnerability hypotheses in the context of long-term trajectories of stress and depression, and we hypothesize that trajectories of stress growth will be associated with trajectories of depressive symptom growth. Using latent growth curve analysis of a sample of 1,972 older persons interviewed three times at three-year intervals, we test the hypotheses that (1) growth in exposure to loss-related events will predict growth in depressive symptoms, and (2) African Americans will experience greater stress growth than whites. Results support the hypotheses. Stress growth exhibited a linear increase for blacks but not for whites, and predicted depression growth for both races, but explained more variance for blacks than for whites.