Stress and Adaptation in the Context of Culture

William W. Dressler, Ph.D. , is Associate Professor of Behavioral and Community Medicine at the University of Alabama School of Medicine—Tuscaloosa Program.

"The author brings maturity of understanding and balance in his examination of vulnerability and resistance factors related to symptom production in populations at risk. His integrative review of theory and research in the field is first rate. His selection of variables will undoubtedly influence other scholars in the field. His imaginative design strategy formally calls attention to matters which are grossly underinvestigated. The organization is excellent, the style of writing is lucid, and the findings are readily accessible to persons with introductory background in multivariate statistics. Introductory chapters are structured so that it made me eager to get to findings." — Jerome Taylor, Ph.D., Director, Right Start Programs, Department of Black Community Education Research and Development, University of Pittsburgh"The case studies enrich and lend substance to the data on social class and support, and the quantitative measures and analyses of stress lend support to the author's historical discussions. I think this is a model of good research." — John F. Wilson, University of Kentucky College of Medicine

• PrefaceIntroduction 1. Studies of Stress and Disease The Stress ProcessSocial Class and Mental DisorderLife EventsChronic Social StressorsResistance ResourcesSocial SupportPersonal Coping ResourcesIntegrative StudiesResearch in the Stress Process: A CritiqueModernization and the Stress ProcessGoals of the Present StudySummary 2. Theoretical Orientations in the Study of African-American Culture Early Studies of the Black CommunityThe Pathology PerspectiveResponses to the Pathology PerspectiveCritiqueResearch on Health in the Black CommunitySummary 3. Methods and the Measurement of Depressive Symptoms Community RapportQualitative Research MethodsQuantitative Research OperationsSamplingThe Dependent Variable: Depressive SymptomsDepressive EpidemiologySummary 4. The Community Economic Dimensions of the Community Occupational ClassEmploymentEducationStyle of LifeIncomePredictors of Economic Position Household and Family Organization Household StructureFamily OrganizationA Multivariate analysis of Household Structure The Church and Community Organization The ChurchVoluntary Associations and Community Resources The Civil Rights Movement Perceptions of InequalityThe Civil Rights Movement Discussion Social ClassHousehold, Family, and Patterns of Help-seekingModels of RacismIntra-cultural Diversity and the Black Community 5. Stressors and the Risk of Depression Lifestyle Incongruity and DepressionStressful Life Events and DepressionUnemployment and DepressionEconomic Stressors and DepressionSocial Role Stressors and DepressionThe Patterning of Stressors by Class and GenerationDiscussion 6. Resistance Resouces Resistance Resources in the Black Community Social SupportCultural ResourcesSpecifying the Effects of Resistance Resources Context-specific Models of Buffering Effects The Younger, Lower Economic Class GroupThe Younger, Higher Economic Class GroupThe Older, Lower Economic Class GroupThe Older, Higher Economic Class Group Discussion 7. Case Studies Case Study OneCase Study TwoCase Study ThreeCase Study FourCase Study FiveCase Study SixCase Study SevenCase Study EightDiscussion 8. Conclusions and Implications Appendix I: Interview Guide for Ethnographic ResearchAppendix II: Survey Interview ScheduleAppendix III: Regression Diagnostics and Alternative Techniques of Model Estimation (with Carolyn J. Bailey)Appendix IV: Correlation matrices References Index