At the intersection of race and immigration: A comprehensive review of depression and related symptoms within the US Black population.

While the literature on Black-white differences in major depressive disorder (MDD) and related self-reported symptoms is robust, less robust is the literature on how these outcomes are patterned within the US Black population and why differences exist. Given increased ethnic diversity of Black Americans due to rises in immigration, continued aggregation has the potential to mask differences between Black ethnic-immigrant groups and Black Americans with more distant ancestral ties to Africa (African Americans). The purpose of this narrative review was to comprehensively synthesize the literature on depression and related symptoms within the US Black population across immigration- and ethnicity-related domains and provide a summary of mechanisms proposed toward explaining variation. Findings revealed substantial variation in the presence of these outcomes within the US Black population by nativity, region of birth, age at immigration, and Caribbean ethnic origin. The importance of racial context and racial socialization were identified as promising mechanisms toward better understanding variations by region of birth and among those born or socialized in the US, respectively. Findings warrant future data collection efforts and measurement innovation to better account for within-racial differences in outcomes under study. A greater appreciation of the growing ethnic-immigrant diversity within the US Black population may improve understanding of how racism differentially functions as a cause of depression and related symptoms within this group.