Low Self-Esteem as a Mediator in the Discrimination–Depression Link among African American Men: The Conditional Role of John Henryism

Abstract African American men face disproportionate mental health burdens rooted in structural and interpersonal racism, yet little research has examined the psychological mechanisms and culturally-specific coping styles that shape these outcomes. This study examines low self-esteem as a mediator between perceived discrimination and depressive symptoms in African American men, and whether this mediation is influenced by levels of John Henryism, a high-effort active coping style. We recruited 207 African American men from New York City and southern California in a cross-sectional study. Multivariate regression analyses tested mediation by low self-esteem and the moderating effects of John Henryism (moderated mediation). The results indicated a modest mediation effect, with low self-esteem accounting for the relationship between perceived discrimination and depressive symptoms. The association between perceived discrimination and low self-esteem was strongest at low levels of John Henryism, weaker at moderate levels, and non-significant at high levels, suggesting that higher John Henryism coping may buffer the impact of discrimination on mental health. However, the index of moderated mediation was not significant, indicating that the overall indirect effect on depressive symptoms did not vary significantly across levels of John Henryism. This study underscores the role of discrimination as a risk-factor on African American men’s mental health, particularly its negative impact on self-esteem. John Henryism appeared to function as a potential protective factor, but findings are inconclusive. These findings not only show that discrimination contributes to mental health disparities among African American men, but also support more nuanced community-based interventions that consider context-dependent and culturally-specific coping strategies such as John Henyrism.