Mental Health Treatment and Work Among African American and Caribbean Black Welfare Recipients

Objective: Untreated depression among Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) participants greatly reduces chances of securing and holding gainful employment. Method: Logistic regression models were estimated on data describing 1,000 African American and Caribbean Black TANF recipients and 2,123 African American and Caribbean Black non-TANF recipients obtained from the National Survey of American Life (NSAL). Results: Black TANF participants were more likely than Black non-TANF participants to be depressed and treated. Treatment odds were lower for Caribbean Black than for U.S.-born Black TANF participants. Conclusion: Results indicated that mental health treatment was likely among Black TANF participants if depression was identified. TANF participants working less than full-time did not receive as much treatment.