Health-seeking Behaviors in Formerly Incarcerated Black Men

项目摘要/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 (美国)，促成了这一人群经历的重大不同的健康结果。近40%的 美国被监禁的男性是黑人，尽管黑人男性只占全国男性的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， 包括身体和精神创伤、社会经济劣势和种族歧视， 造成他们经历的负面健康后果，包括精神健康症状。这些是相同的 社会和环境因素也与监禁的可能性增加有关，这是一种 经常是创伤性的经历，在被释放时进一步损害健康、不利和歧视 监禁。这些情况的累积影响让以前被监禁的黑人男性 尤其是面临精神健康症状和与健康相关的生活质量下降的风险。尽管有 已经有研究描述了导致以前被监禁的黑人男性心理健康症状的因素，有一项 关于这些男性如何认识和解决自己的健康需求，目前的知识差距很大。 这项混合方法(QUAL+QUA)的研究旨在调查监禁史如何影响心理 健康症状严重程度、健康相关生活质量、求医行为和健康投入 关心。这将通过(1)检查参与者有心理健康症状的经历来实现 确定影响心理健康、与健康相关的生活质量和寻求健康的显著背景因素 行为(2)对精神卫生症状后的求医经历和求医认知进行考察 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接触的途径 在心理健康护理方面。了解寻求健康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干预措施的关键一步 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。 与国家护理研究所关于社会优先领域的特别关注的通知 健康、健康差距和健康公平的决定因素。这项研究纳入了一项奖学金培训计划 这将为申请人的独立研究生涯做好准备，专注于通过以下方式促进卫生公平 改善创伤暴露和边缘化患者的心理健康症状和健康相关生活质量 人口。培训将主要在宾夕法尼亚大学进行，并结合说教和 体验式学习、辅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.