Psychological distress among inner-city american elderly: Structural, developmental, and situational contexts.

This analysis explores the prevalence of psychological distress and the factors associated with its occurrence among 200 inner-city residents, 65% of whom are African Americans. Comparisons by gender and race find that women and African Americans are less likely to be distressed. Distress, however, is significantly associated with poorer health and fewer social and economic resources. A model depicting pathways to distress is used in a case study analysis of the most distressed respondents. It illustrates how the developmental vulnerabilities in childhood, limited opportunities in adulthood, and the provoking agents in their current lives interact and undermine well-being. This paper raises the proposition that a levelling process may occur in later life when these factors converge and result in distress irrespective of cultural differences.