Darrell Hudson’s research centers on the social epidemiology of depression among African Americans. Social epidemiology surrounds the notions of social distribution and social determinants of health. One major perspective of social epidemiology is the idea that diseases come and go but the social inequities that contribute to disease and the disparities in disease distribution, remain the same. As such, Hudson’s research agenda focuses on two critical determinants of health and health disparities: race/ethnicity and socioeconomic position.
Another core tenet of social epidemiology is concerned with stress and coping as well as the social context of behavior. Hudson’s research examines how stress is socially patterned, and the coping strategies and resources that individuals develop and can access to cope with stress.
Additionally, due to advances in neuroscience, social epidemiology blurs the lines between physical and mental health. Hudson has examined the association between depression and diabetes outcomes as well as how health behaviors protect mental health at the expense of physical health.
In 2023, Hudson was named the director of WashU’s Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity & Equity. He also has appointments at the Department of Psychiatry at the School of Medicine, and the Department of Sociology in Arts & Sciences.