Whites More Anxious Than Blacks

Non-Hispanic whites had higher rates of generalized anxiety disorder than African-Americans and Afro-Caribbeans in the United States, researchers say.

Jose Soto of the Pennsylvania State University said generalized anxiety disorder may manifest in chronic worrying, intrusive thoughts and difficulty concentrating, and physical symptoms such as tension headaches, extreme fatigue and ulcers.

{snip}

African-Americans who reported increased instances of racial discrimination had significantly higher odds of suffering generalized anxiety disorder.

Using data from the National Survey of American Life involving 5,899 American adults–including 3,570 African-Americans, 1,438 Afro-Caribbeans and 891 non-Hispanic whites–the researchers found more than 40 percent reported they experienced some form of racial discrimination and approximately 4.5 percent reported suffering from generalized anxiety disorder.

{snip}

Though experiences of racial discrimination among non-Hispanic whites were not associated with the development of generalized anxiety disorder, age and gender discrimination were.

{snip}

[“The relationship between perceived discrimination and Generalized Anxiety Disorder among African Americans, Afro Caribbeans, and non-Hispanic Whites,” by Jose A. Soto et al.

is available here. There is a charge.]