Racial Disparities in Depression and Life Satisfaction After Spinal Cord Injury: A Mediational Model

Purpose:

To identify the relationship of race and gender with 3 aspects of life satisfaction and depressive symptoms after spinal cord injury (SCI), evaluating the extent to which socioeconomic factors mediate any observed relationships.

Methods:

Adults with traumatic SCI of at least 1-year duration (N = 1,549) were identified through a Southeastern United States SCI Model System of care, and cross-sectional survey data were collected at a Southeastern United States medical university. Three aspects of life satisfaction (home life satisfaction, vocational satisfaction, global satisfaction) were measured using 20 satisfaction items from the Life Situation Questionnaire-Revised. The Older Adult Health and Mood Questionnaire measured depressive symptoms. MANCOVA assessed mediation of socioeconomic status between race and life satisfaction and depression.

Results:

Home life satisfaction and vocational satisfaction were significantly related to race, with White participants scoring higher than Black participants during the first stage of the regression. However, socioeconomic factors mediated the relationships such that race was no longer significant after considering economic factors. Race was significantly associated with global satisfaction after adjusting for socioeconomic factors. Depression was not significantly related to race. Gender was unrelated to all study outcomes. Of the socioeconomic mediators, family income was a significant predictor of each outcome, whereas education was only predictive of vocational satisfaction.

Conclusion:

Socioeconomic factors are important mediators of the relationship between race and certain aspects of life satisfaction among persons with SCI. Family income and, to a lesser extent, education should be considered when evaluating race differences in life satisfaction after SCI.