Dr. Nguyen is an interdisciplinary scholar whose work is focused on minority aging and the life course. Her research is motivated by racial disparities in the burden of mental illness, especially for depression. Despite being less prevalent among African Americans, depression is more severe, chronic, persistent, and disabling for African Americans than for Whites. These disparities constitute an excess burden of depression for African Americans.
One of the goals of her research is to explain why older African Americans bear an excess burden of depression relative to older non-Hispanic Whites and identify factors that will address this disparity. Specifically, her research aims to identify psychosocial factors, such as social support, negative social interactions, and discrimination, that represent risk and protective factors for mental illness among older African Americans. These factors will inform interventions that can reduce and eliminate this excess burden for this population.
Teaching Information
Courses Taught
Publications
Recent Publications
Chatters, L. M., Nguyen, A. W., Taylor, R. J., Hope, M. O. (2018). Church and family support networks and depressive symptoms among African Americans: Findings from the National Survey of American Life. Journal of Community Psychology, 46(4), 403-417.
Nguyen, A. W., Chatters, L. M., Taylor, R. J., Aranda, M. P., Lincoln, K. D., & Thomas, C. S. (2017). Discrimination, serious psychological distress, and church-based emotional support among African American men across the life span. Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, Series B, 73(2), 198-207.
Lincoln, K. D., Lloyd, D., & Nguyen, A. W. (2017). Social relationships and salivary telomere length among middle-aged and older African American and White adults. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, Series B, 1-9. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbx049. [Epub ahead of print].
Nguyen, A. W. (2017). Variations in social network types among older African Americans, Caribbean Blacks, and non-Hispanic Whites. Journals of Gerontology: Social Sciences. Jul; 72(4): 716–726. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbx016
Nguyen, A. W. (2017). Mosque-based social support and collective and personal self-esteem among young Muslim American adults. Race and Social Problems, 9(2), 95-101. doi: 10.1007/s12552-017-9196-y
Himle, J. A., Taylor, R. J., Nguyen, A. W., Williams, M. T., Lincoln, K. D., Taylor, H. O., & Chatters, L. M. (2017). Family and friendship networks and obsessive compulsive disorder among African Americans and Black Caribbeans. the Behavior Therapist, 40(3), 99-105.
Keith, V. M., Nguyen, A. W., Taylor, R. J., Mouzon, D. M., & Chatters, L. M. (2017). Microaggressions, discrimination, and phenotype among African Americans: A latent class analysis of the impact of skin tone and BMI. Sociological Inquiry, 87(2), 233-255. doi: 10.1111/soin.12168
Nguyen, A. W., Chatters, L. M., & Taylor, R. J. (2016). African American extended family and church-based social network typologies. Family Relations, 65(5), 701-715. doi: 10.1111/fare.12218
Nguyen, A. W., Taylor, R. J., Chatters, L. M., Taylor, H. O., Lincoln, K. D., & Mitchell, U. A. (2016). Extended family and friendship support and suicidality among African Americans. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 52(3), 299-309. doi: 10.1007/s00127-016-1309-1
Taylor, R. J., Mouzon, D., Nguyen, A. W., & Chatters, L. M. (2016). Reciprocal family, friendship and church support networks of African Americans: Findings from the National Survey of American Life. Race and Social Problems, 8(4), 326-339. doi: 10.1007/s12552-016-9186-5
Nguyen, A. W., Taylor, R. J., & Chatters, L. M. (2016). Church-based social support among Caribbean Blacks in the United States. Review of Religious Research, 58(3), 385-406. doi: 10.1007/s13644-016-0253-6
Taylor, H. O., Taylor, R. J., Nguyen, A. W., & Chatters, L. M. (2016). Social isolation, depression, and psychological distress among older adults. Journal of Aging and Health. doi: 10.1177/0898264316673511
Nguyen, A. W., Chatters, L. M., Taylor, R. J., Levine, D. S., & Himle, J. A. (2016). Family, friends, and 12-month PTSD among African Americans. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 51, 1149-1157. doi: 10.1007/s00127-016-1239-y
Mouzon, D. M., Taylor, R. J., Nguyen, A. W., Chatters, L. M. (2016). Serious psychological distress among African Americans: Findings from the National Survey of American Life. Journal of Community Psychology, 44(6), 765-780. doi: 10.1002/jcop.21800
Nguyen, A. W., Chatters, L. M., & Taylor, R. J., Mouzon, D. M. (2016). Social support from family and friends and subjective well-being of older African Americans. Journal of Happiness Studies, Jun; 17(3): 959–979. doi: 10.1007/s10902-015-9626-8
Education
Additional Information
In the News
Ann Nguyen receives the Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusive Engagement's Faculty Diversity Excellence Award
May 24, 2023
Professors Megan Holmes and Ann Nguyen have been promoted effective July 1
April 20, 2023
Ann Nguyen receives grant to study risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias among older Black adults
March 10, 2023
National Opinion Research Center awards fellowship to Mandel School’s Fei Wang
September 16, 2022
Doctoral student Tyrone Hamler publishes work in gerontology journal
September 09, 2022
Ann Nguyen's R13 application selected for funding
August 11, 2022
First Year Cleveland (FYC) moves to the Mandel School
July 05, 2022
Mandel School’s Ann Nguyen selected for early-career research honor
July 01, 2022
Study shows the detrimental health effects of 'John Henryism'
February 14, 2022
Measuring the poor health outcomes of ‘John Henryism’ for older Black Americans
January 28, 2022
SSWR 2021 Virtual Conference: Award Winner & Presentations
January 19, 2021
Fall 2020 Virtual Global and Intercultural Learning: Ecuador – Applications due Sept. 7
August 18, 2020