"Yes We Can!" The Mental Health Significance for U.S. Black Adults of Barack Obama's 2008 Presidential Election. Issue 1 (January 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Brown, Tony N.; Solazzo, Alexa; Gorman, Bridget K.
• Is Part Of: Sociology of race & ethnicity. Volume 7:Issue 1(2021)
• Page Start: 101
• Page End: 115
• Publication Date: 2021-01
• Subjects: Barack Obama -- BRFSS -- gender -- mental health -- quasi-experiment -- social determinants of health -- symbolic empowerment; Minorities -- United States -- Periodicals; Race relations -- United States -- Periodicals; Racism -- United States -- Periodicals; Ethnicity -- United States -- Periodicals; Ethnicity; Racism; Race relations; Minorities; United States; Periodicals; 305.80097305
• DOI: 10.1177/2332649220911387
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2332-6492

Abstract

This study examines the mental health significance of Barack Obama's 2008 presidential election for black adults. His election was a milestone moment. Hence, we expect black adults would experience improved mental health after the first self-identified black person wins election to the most powerful position in the United States. Using nationally representative survey data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), we address this expectation by predicting poor mental health days that black adults report preelection and postelection. We find no overall difference in poor mental health days between the time periods. However, a statistical interaction between gender and time period demonstrates black men report 1.01 fewer poor mental health days after the election, whereas black women report .45 more poor mental health days after the election.