December 2003

The pressures and demands of everyday life will continue to be with us in 2004, especially as we maintain our fast paced lives. The stressors we often face lead to physical and psychological distress, which can ultimately impact our overall quality of life in negative ways.

I have been watching this phenomenon with great interest, because so many men and women are increasingly afflicted with debilitating physical impairments, such as hypertension, diabetes, and cancer, in addition to psychological impairment, such as depression and anxiety. While there are many scenarios I could focus on today reflecting the impact of stress on our lives, I would like to highlight three distinct groups of “Superwomen” - (professional women; women in business and pastors’ wives) who may be highly vulnerable to poor mental and physical health because of the stressful lives they lead with sometimes limited to no support. The term “Superwomen” is used to depict women who are constantly attempting to do a balancing act between work, home, spouse, children, and self-care, although self-care is usually rarely achieved on a consistent basis.

Let’s look at the professional woman who may be in business for herself or a corporate power broker for a major corporation. She may be stressed out by the need to compete in a business world that is usually dominated by males, along with the responsibility of going home at the end of the day to manage a home and family. For African American women, the problem may be even more complex, especially if they are victimized by racism and sexism. Many times these “Superwomen” are highly stressed out with neither adequate support from the workplace nor her family. I would like to take a minute to affirm those major corporations that understand the importance of family, and those spouses who are secure enough to lend support and understanding to “Superwomen.” But all too often, professional women are left depleted and drained by the demands of life, and many are struggling in silence because they may not believe anyone will understand.

Researchers to evaluate the different responses of African Americans & Caucasians to a medication for depression. 120 African Americans and Caucasian adults with depression are needed to participate in a study at the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine & Science. This innovative study is exploring ethnic differences in response to a medication for depression.

The study is funded by the NIH/National Institute of Mental Health and will evaluate what factors influence how depressed African American and Caucasian adults respond to the antidepressant medication called Celexa. Celexa is an antidepressant medication known to help improve a person’s mood.