Health-seeking Behaviors in Formerly Incarcerated Black Men

项目概要/摘要 监禁是健康的社会决定因素，对美国黑人男性的影响不成比例 (US)，导致这一人群经历的显著不同的健康结果。近40%的 在美国，被监禁的人都是黑人，尽管黑人只占全国男性的13%。 人口在整个生命过程中，黑人男性暴露在危害健康的社会和环境因素中， 包括身体和情感创伤、社会经济劣势和种族歧视， 导致他们经历的负面健康结果，包括心理健康症状。这些相同 社会和环境因素也与监禁的可能性增加有关， 经常是创伤性的经历，在释放后进一步损害健康，不利地位和歧视， 监禁。这些情况的累积影响使以前被监禁的黑人男子 特别是有精神健康症状和与健康相关的生活质量下降的风险。虽然已经 有研究描述了以前被监禁的黑人男性心理健康症状的贡献者，有一个 在这些男子如何认识和解决自身健康需求方面，目前的知识存在重大差距。 这种混合方法（QUAL + quan）研究旨在探讨监禁史如何影响心理健康， 健康症状严重程度、健康相关生活质量、寻求健康行为和健康参与 在乎这将通过（1）检查参与者的心理健康症状经历， 确定影响心理健康、健康相关生活质量和寻求健康的突出背景因素 行为（2）检查后心理健康症状的健康寻求的经验和看法， 监禁，以阐明参与者如何在社会结构中解决他们的心理健康需求 监禁历史的背景和（3）描述监禁历史如何塑造参与的途径 精神健康护理。了解寻求健康的行为和参与心理健康的途径 对以前被监禁的黑人男子的护理是制定有针对性的干预措施的重要一步 促进寻求健康的行为，最大限度地减少护理障碍。这项研究的目的是一致的 与国家护理研究所的特别关注的社会优先领域的通知 健康决定因素、健康差距和健康公平。这项研究纳入了研究金培训计划 这将为申请人的独立研究生涯做好准备，重点是通过以下方式促进健康公平： 改善遭受创伤和被边缘化的人的心理健康症状和与健康有关的生活质量 人口。培训将主要在宾夕法尼亚大学进行， 体验式学习、指导研究和职业发展活动。

PROJECT SUMMARY/ ABSTRACT Incarceration is a social determinant of health that disproportionately impacts Black men in the United States (US), contributing to the significant disparate health outcomes experienced by this population. Nearly 40% of incarcerated men in the US are Black, despite the fact that Black men make up only 13% of the nation’s male population. Over the life course, Black men are exposed to health harming social and environmental factors, including physical and emotional trauma, socioeconomic disadvantage, and racial discrimination, which contribute to the negative health outcomes they experience, including mental health symptoms. These same social and environmental factors are also associated with an increased likelihood of incarceration, which is an often-traumatic experience that furthers health harms, disadvantages, and discrimination upon release from incarceration. The cumulative impact of these circumstances leaves formerly incarcerated Black men especially at risk for mental health symptoms and diminished health-related quality of life. Although there have been studies describing contributors to mental health symptoms in formerly incarcerated Black men, there is a significant gap in current knowledge regarding how these men recognize and address their own health needs. This mixed method (QUAL + quan) study aims to investigate how incarceration history influences mental health symptom severity, health-related quality of life, health-seeking behaviors, and engagement in health care. This will be accomplished by (1) examining participants’ experiences with mental health symptoms to identify salient contextual factors that impact mental health, health-related quality of life, and health-seeking behaviors (2) examining experiences and perceptions of health-seeking for mental health symptoms post- incarceration to illuminate how participants address their mental health needs within the social-structural context of incarceration history and (3) describing how incarceration history shapes pathways to engagement in mental health care. Understanding health-seeking behaviors and pathways to engagement in mental health care among formerly incarcerated Black men is an essential step in the development of targeted interventions that promote health-seeking behaviors and minimize barriers to care. The aims of this study are well aligned with the National Institute of Nursing Research’s Notice of Special Interest in the priority areas of social determinants of health, health disparities and health equity. This study is integrated in a fellowship training plan that will prepare the applicant for an independent research career focused on advancing health equity by improving the mental health symptoms and health-related quality of life in trauma-exposed and marginalized populations. Training will primarily take place at the University of Pennsylvania and incorporate didactic and experiential learning, mentored research, and career development activities.