Racial differences in links between perceived discrimination, depressive symptoms, and ambulatory working memory

Abstract

Objectives

Perceived discrimination is associated with racial cognitive health disparities. Links between discrimination and cognitive performance, like working memory, in everyday settings (i.e. ambulatory performance) require investigation. Depressive symptoms may be a mechanism through which discrimination relates to ambulatory working memory.

Method

Discrimination, retrospective and momentary depressive symptoms/mood, and aggregated and momentary working memory performance among older Black and White adults were examined within the Einstein Aging Study.

Results

Racially stratified analyses revealed that discrimination did not relate to Black or White adults’ ambulatory working memory. Among Black adults, however, more frequent discrimination was associated with greater retrospectively reported depressive symptoms, which related to more working memory errors across two weeks (indirect effect p < 0.05). This path was not significant among White adults. Links between discrimination and momentary working memory were not explained by momentary reports of depressed mood for Black or White adults.

Conclusion

Depressive symptoms may play an important role in the link between discrimination and ambulatory working memory among Black adults across extended measurements, but not at the momentary level. Future research should address ambulatory cognition and momentary reports of discrimination and depression to better understand how to minimize cognitive health disparities associated with discrimination.

Keywords:

• Minority and diverse populations
• discrimination
• ambulatory cognition
• depressive symptoms
• depressed mood

Disclosure statement

The authors report that there are no competing interests to declare.

Data availability statement

Data were from the Einstein Aging Study (EAS): study information, codebooks, and a form to request data access are available through the Einstein Aging Study website, https://einsteinagingstudy.com

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute on Aging [P01-AG003949; RF1AG056487].