African American women are disproportionately at risk for psychological distress, especially depression. In a 2001 report on race, culture and mental health, the Surgeon General called for mental health researchers to pay more attention to the social contexts of African Americans. This dissertation used an ecosocial, multilevel approach to elaborate on what is known about the influence of urban community factors on psychological distress among African American women by means of three aims: (1) develop a conceptual model with a focus on community level factors and implications for research and practice; (2) summarize the state of knowledge regarding the effects of urban community contexts on mental health outcomes in the United States; and (3) conduct an multilevel analysis of individual and community factors related to African American women's symptoms of depression in three Chicago neighborhoods.

The conceptual model proposed in Aim 1 emphasizes social context and the role of community and community processes. The Aim 2 review of multilevel analyses of urban areas and mental health in the United States found that there is limited information on direct and mediating community factors related to mental health within African American communities. Aim 3 confirmed that place-based variations in women's depressive symptoms exist within African American communities, even in relatively small and seemingly homogenous local areas.