1
|
Anderson RE, Johnson N, Jones SCT, Patterson A, Anyiwo N. Racial Socialization and Black Adolescent Mental Health and Developmental Outcomes: A Critical Review and Future Directions. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL FOR THE SOCIETY OF CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY, AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION, DIVISION 53 2024:1-24. [PMID: 39137924 DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2024.2384025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Black American adolescents are beleaguered with the most frequent and severe experiences of racial discrimination (RD) among their peers. To protect Black adolescents' mental health and developmental outcomes from the pernicious impact of discrimination, parents and other proximal adults and peers often utilize racial socialization (RS), or communications and behaviors emphasizing the importance of race and the harms of racism. While several recent RS reviews have been conducted across ethnicity, a modern review investigating RS practices related to and predictive of Black adolescent psychosocial outcomes is needed. METHOD To ground our critical systematic review of 45 articles, we first highlighted the ways RD impacts the lives of Black adolescents. Then, drawing from integrative models for Black youth development, we synthesized recent psychological, academic, and sociocultural literatures to describe the role of RS in Black adolescents' wellness. RESULTS The impact of various tenets of RS was seen most clearly as a protective factor against RD with respect to adolescents' mental health (e.g. depression), academic achievement (e.g. GPA), and sociocultural identity (e.g. public and private racial regard) development. Cultural socialization, a strategy related to extolling pride for one's race, was the most consistent RS protective factor, with novel RS constructs (e.g. parental competency) emerging as a method to buffer youth internalizing and externalizing problems. CONCLUSIONS Recommendations are made for future research on understudied components of RS and multiple methods and reporters to capture a more holistic depiction of RS practices. We emphasize preventative and intervening approaches to reduce the impetus for RS and its impact, including burgeoning clinical and community-level programs and the importance for provider training to yield positive mental health outcomes for Black adolescents.
Collapse
|
2
|
Ross JM, Hope MO, Volpe VV. Intersections of Racial/Ethnic and Religious Identities on Bodily Well-Being for Black College-Attending Emerging Adults. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities 2024; 11:1808-1818. [PMID: 37318713 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-023-01653-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Black undergraduates face threats to healthy weight and body image (i.e., bodily well-being). Having a strong racial/ethnic identity can promote health during emerging adulthood. However, less is known about the intersections of racial/ethnic and religious identities on the bodily well-being of Black college-attending emerging adults, despite evidence to indicate that aspects of religiosity are also associated with health. We use quantitative data from 767 Black college-attending emerging adults in the Multi-University Study of Identity and Culture to examine the independent contributions of racial/ethnic and religious identity for bodily health, and test a potential interaction between racial/ethnic and religious identity on bodily health outcomes. Results from a multivariate linear regression model indicate that Black college-attending emerging adults with both high religious identity and high racial/ethnic identity exploration had higher body mass index and less positive body image. Findings suggest ways to strengthen the development of culturally appropriate public health prevention and intervention efforts that target body image and weight for Black college-attending emerging adults. IMPACT STATEMENT: Black college-attending emerging adults face challenges to their health, particularly threats to healthy weight and body image during this period of psychosocial transitions. The developmental process of navigating racial/ethnic and religious identities during this time raises challenges and opportunities for health promotion for this population. Yet, research that explores the role of these identities remains scarce. We found that Black college-attending emerging adults had higher body mass index and more negative body image when they reported more racial/ethnic identity exploration coupled with higher religious identities. Results shed light on the complex ways that navigating both racial/ethnic and religious identities may put some Black college-attending emerging adults at greater health risk. Health education and promotion practice focused on improving Black emerging adult health in college contexts should ensure that behavioral interventions are appropriately nuanced and situated in these populations' developmental and cultural considerations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julia M Ross
- Department of Psychology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
| | - Meredith O Hope
- Department of Psychology, The College of Wooster, Wooster, OH, USA
| | - Vanessa V Volpe
- Department of Psychology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Merritt CC, Muscatell KA. Discrimination and Cardiovascular Health in Black Americans: Exploring Inflammation as a Mechanism and Perceived Control as a Protective Factor. Psychosom Med 2024; 86:181-191. [PMID: 38436661 PMCID: PMC11001516 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000001300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Inflammation may be an integral physiological mechanism through which discrimination impacts cardiovascular health and contributes to racial health disparities. Limited research has examined psychosocial factors that protect against the negative effects of discrimination on inflammation. Perceived control is a promising possible protective factor, given that it has been shown to moderate the relationship between other psychosocial stressors and physiological outcomes. This study thus tested whether systemic inflammation mediated the link between discrimination and cardiovascular health and whether perceived control moderated this relationship. METHODS Data for this project included 347 non-Hispanic/Latinx Black adults (mean [standard deviation] age = 51.64 [11.24] years; 33% female) taken from the Midlife in the United States study. Perceived control and daily discrimination were assessed via self-report, and inflammation was measured via circulating levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), fibrinogen, and tumor necrosis factor α. Cardiovascular health was measured by morbidity of cardiovascular conditions: heart disease, hypertension, and/or stroke. RESULTS CRP (indirect effect: b = 0.004, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.001-0.007) and fibrinogen (indirect effect: b = 0.002, 95% CI = 0.0003-0.005) mediated the link between discrimination and cardiovascular conditions. Perceived control moderated the relationship between discrimination and CRP ( F (1, 293) = 4.58, Δ R2 = 0.013, b = -0.02, SE = 0.01, p = .033). CRP mediated the link between discrimination and cardiovascular conditions only for those who reported low levels of perceived control (Index = -0.003, 95% CI = -0.007 to -0.0001). CONCLUSION Findings provide empirical evidence of inflammation as a mechanism linking discrimination to cardiovascular conditions among Black Americans. Additionally, perceived control may be protective. Findings could suggest beliefs about control as a potential intervention target to help reduce the negative effects of discrimination on cardiovascular health among Black Americans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carrington C. Merritt
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Keely A. Muscatell
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Tyrell FA, Wang YS, Eboigbe LI, Skeeter BD. A multisystem model for understanding stress and adaptation in ethnically and racially diverse youth. Dev Psychopathol 2024:1-13. [PMID: 38506061 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579424000592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Contemporary biological and contextually based theoretical frameworks have conceptualized how stress exposure may influence adaptation in youth. However, nearly all of this scholarship neglects the role of specific contextual features and/or biological processes that are involved in ethnic-racial minority youth's responses and adaptation to sociocultural stressors. Drawing on the theoretical principles of the developmental psychopathology framework and contemporary models of stress and adaptation, this article proposes a new multisystem model that explains how multiple levels and systems within and outside of individual youth influence their sociocultural adaptation. We provide empirical evidence to support components of this multisystem model. We propose that research based on our new theoretical framework will capture the sociocultural experiences of ethnic-racial minority youth by centering processes that are relevant to their lived experiences, coping, and adjustment. In doing so, this model will inform psychosocial interventions focused on promoting healthy adaptation among ethnic and racial diverse youth. Finally, we offer recommendations to guide future research on stress and adaptation among ethnic and racial diverse youth, in particular, and developmental psychopathology more broadly.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fanita A Tyrell
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Yuqi S Wang
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Loretta I Eboigbe
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Bailey D Skeeter
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Woods-Jaeger B, Jahangir T, Lucas D, Freeman M, Renfro TL, Knutzen KE, Cave N, Jackson M, Chandler C, Riggins C, Lightfoot AF. Youth Empowered Advocating for Health (YEAH): Facilitating Partnerships Between Prevention Scientists and Black Youth to Promote Health Equity. PREVENTION SCIENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PREVENTION RESEARCH 2024; 25:20-30. [PMID: 36287352 PMCID: PMC9607836 DOI: 10.1007/s11121-022-01450-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Structural racism inflicts a disproportionate burden of stress and trauma within Black communities, resulting in physical and mental health inequities that impact Black youth. Yet few multilevel interventions exist to address these deeply rooted inequities from a preventive standpoint, and even fewer are informed by the participatory input of the impacted communities. To bridge these gaps, we developed a community-based prevention strategy that promotes agency and active resistance to structural racism, Youth Empowered Advocating for Health (YEAH), and implemented it across various settings. We outline the development, implementation, and expansion of YEAH as a tool for promoting optimal health among Black communities. Lastly, we discuss lessons learned and offer a framework outlining key principles for prevention scientists to partner with Black youth and engage them in translational science to address structural racism. This framework is aimed at driving policies, practices, and procedures that promote equitable and sustainable change for and with Black communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Briana Woods-Jaeger
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Grace Crum Rollins Building1518 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, #52630322, USA.
| | - Tasfia Jahangir
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Grace Crum Rollins Building1518 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, #52630322, USA
| | - Devin Lucas
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Grace Crum Rollins Building1518 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, #52630322, USA
| | | | - Tiffaney L Renfro
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Grace Crum Rollins Building1518 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, #52630322, USA
| | - Kristin E Knutzen
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Grace Crum Rollins Building1518 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, #52630322, USA
| | - Nkosi Cave
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Grace Crum Rollins Building1518 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, #52630322, USA
| | | | - Caroline Chandler
- Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | - Alexandra F Lightfoot
- Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
McKenna BG, Choi J, Brennan PA, K Knight A, Smith AK, R Pilkay S, Corwin EJ, Dunlop AL. Maternal Adversity and Epigenetic Age Acceleration Predict Heightened Emotional Reactivity in Offspring: Implications for Intergenerational Transmission of Risk. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2023; 51:1753-1767. [PMID: 36227464 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-022-00981-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Black American women are disproportionately exposed to adversities that may have an intergenerational impact on mental health. The present study examined whether maternal exposure to adversity and epigenetic age acceleration (EAA; a biomarker of stress exposure) predicts the socioemotional health of her offspring. During pregnancy, 180 Black American women self-reported experiences of childhood adversity and marginalization-related adversity (i.e., racial discrimination and gendered racial stress) and provided a blood sample for epigenetic assessment. At a three-year follow-up visit, women reported their offspring's emotional reactivity (an early indicator of psychopathology) via the CBCL/1.5-5. After adjusting for maternal education and offspring sex, results indicated that greater maternal experiences of childhood trauma (β = 0.21, SE(β) = 0.01; p = 0.01) and racial discrimination (β = 0.14, SE(β) = 0.07; p = 0.049) predicted greater offspring emotional reactivity, as did maternal EAA (β = 0.17, SE(β) = 0.09, p = 0.046). Our findings suggest that maternal EAA could serve as an early biomarker for intergenerational risk conferred by maternal adversity, and that 'maternal adversity' must be defined more broadly to include social marginalization, particularly for Black Americans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brooke G McKenna
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
| | - Joanne Choi
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | | | - Anna K Knight
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Alicia K Smith
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Stefanie R Pilkay
- School of Social Work, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, 13244, USA
| | | | - Anne L Dunlop
- School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Finding the bright side: Positive online racial experiences, racial identity, and activism for black young adults. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2023.107738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
|
8
|
Volpert-Esmond HI, Landor AM, Bartholow BD. Immediate and delayed effects of everyday racial discrimination on mental health among Black college students: A mixed-methods approach. GROUP PROCESSES & INTERGROUP RELATIONS 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/13684302221131029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Experiences of racial discrimination significantly contribute to both mental and physical health outcomes. In this mixed-methods study, we examine both the immediate and delayed effect of discrimination experienced in daily life. Black students at a predominantly White university reported instances of racial discrimination, affect, anxiety, and depression several times per day over 4 weeks ( N = 114); this was followed by qualitative focus groups ( N = 25). Reporting an instance of discrimination corresponded with an acute decline in psychological wellbeing (higher negative affect, anxiety, and depression), consistent with previous work. However, this effect did not carry forward to later assessments during the same day or the following day as expected. Instead, positive affect temporarily increased in the hours following experiences of discrimination. Qualitative focus groups revealed social support, emotional reflection and processing, and feelings of taking action as important factors contributing to this bump in positive affect.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Antoinette M. Landor
- Department of Human Development and Family sciences, University of Missouri, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Rahal D, Kurtz-Costes B, Volpe VV. Ethnic Identity in Arab Americans: Gender, Religious Upbringing, and Age Differences. SOCIAL IDENTITIES 2022; 28:544-569. [PMID: 36935868 PMCID: PMC10021341 DOI: 10.1080/13504630.2022.2110464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Arab Americans constitute a diverse, sizeable ethnic minority in the United States. However, limited research has examined the content of Arab American ethnic identity and whether this ethnic identity differs by demographic factors. In the present study, we developed measures of Arab American ethnic identity and cultural practice, and assessed differences in those variables by gender, religious affiliation (Muslim, Christian), and age. Arab American adults recruited online from Amazon Mechanical Turk (N = 391) completed an adaptation of the Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity and a measure of cultural practice that was created for this study based on pre-existing scales. Items loaded onto dimensions of identity (ethnic centrality, private regard, public regard), and subscales showed invariance across gender and religious upbringing. When examining group differences in ethnic identity, we found that attitudes regarding being Arab American varied by gender, such that Arab American women reported higher private regard and lower public regard than men. In turn, participants raised in Muslim households reported higher ethnic centrality and cultural practice than those raised in Christian households, potentially related to Muslims' status as a religious minority in the United Status. Finally, young adults were lower in centrality and private regard than older adults, suggesting either that ethnic identity may develop into adulthood or that young adults' ethnic identity may be influenced by growing up in American society post-9/11. Taken together, findings illustrate the heterogeneity in the ethnic identity of Arab Americans; further research is needed to understand individual differences in Arab Americans' ethnic identity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Danny Rahal
- Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Beth Kurtz-Costes
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Vanessa V. Volpe
- Department of Psychology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Sosoo EE, MacCormack JK, Neblett EW. Psychophysiological and affective reactivity to vicarious police violence. Psychophysiology 2022; 59:e14065. [PMID: 35543565 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Little is known about how vicarious police violence, or instances of police violence observed but not directly experienced, impacts health among Black individuals. Using a lab-based paradigm in a sample of young adults (N = 101), this study examined: (a) psychophysiological reactivity to instances of vicarious police violence, particularly the assault and shooting of Black individuals; (b) affective reactivity to instances of vicarious police violence; and (c) how racial identity, one important moderator, influences psychophysiological and affective responses to vicarious police violence. Using electrocardiography and impedance cardiography, participants' cardiac sympathetic and parasympathetic physiological responses were continuously monitored. Three sets of high-quality color photographs (neutral, non-violent distress, violence) were viewed on a computer. Participants rated their affect after each set using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Following this task, racial identity was assessed using the Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity-Short Form. Findings indicated that vicarious police violence was associated with greater sympathetic reactivity and negative affect relative to the neutral and non-violent distress conditions. Additionally, higher levels of racial centrality exacerbated the association between vicarious police violence and negative affect. Findings suggest that Black individuals may wish to limit their consumption of media depicting the assault and shooting of other Black individuals, with the caveat that the best solution is ultimately the cessation of police violence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Effua E Sosoo
- Durham Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Durham, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jennifer K MacCormack
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Enrique W Neblett
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Hope EC, Volpe VV, Briggs AS, Benson GP. Anti-racism activism among Black adolescents and emerging adults: Understanding the roles of racism and anticipatory racism-related stress. Child Dev 2022; 93:717-731. [PMID: 35211959 PMCID: PMC9306571 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
This study examines associations between individual racism, anticipatory racism‐related stress, and anti‐racism activism among Black adolescents (n = 443; Mage = 15.6; 57.4% female) and emerging adults (n = 447; Mage = 23.8; 77.6% female). The authors tested competing hypotheses about associations between individual racism and anti‐racism activism on anticipatory racism‐related stress. Findings indicated anticipatory racism‐related stress may be both a catalyst and consequence of engagement in anti‐racism activism for Black adolescents and emerging adults. Results for each age group varied by type of stress (physiological; psychological) and activism (low‐risk; high‐risk). Supporting youth engagement in anti‐racism activism without increasing anticipatory racism‐related stress is a key priority for meaningfully advancing scholarship on the development of anti‐racism and pursuit of racial justice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elan C Hope
- Department of Psychology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Vanessa V Volpe
- Department of Psychology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Alexis S Briggs
- Department of Psychology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - G Perusi Benson
- Department of Psychology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Woody ML, Bell EC, Cruz NA, Wears A, Anderson RE, Price RB. Racial Stress and Trauma and the Development of Adolescent Depression: A Review of the Role of Vigilance Evoked by Racism-Related Threat. CHRONIC STRESS 2022; 6:24705470221118574. [PMID: 35966451 PMCID: PMC9373112 DOI: 10.1177/24705470221118574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
There are known disparities in the burden of illness and access/quality of care
for African, Latino/a, Asian, and Native American (ALANA) patients diagnosed
with depressive disorders, which may occur because of health inequities. Racial
stress and trauma (RST), or the significant fear and distress that can be
imparted from exposure to racism, is one such inequity linked to the development
of depression. The current review summarizes past research examining the
association between racism, RST, and depression, as well as avenues in which RST
becomes biologically embedded in ALANA individuals. We describe multimodal
research that supports vigilance as a potential mediator of the association
between RST and depression and consider the nuanced role that vigilance plays
during experiences with racism. Finally, we describe methodological advances in
the assessment of vigilance evoked by RST and the clinical implications that may
be generated by future improvements. In each of these areas, we present examples
of how ongoing and future research can be leveraged to provide support for
psychosocial programs that facilitate autonomous community healing and
resilience, increase calls for public policy changes, and support clinical
interventions that lessen the burden of racism on ALANA communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mary L. Woody
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | - Nicolas A. Cruz
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Anna Wears
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Riana E. Anderson
- Health Behavior and Health Education Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Rebecca B. Price
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Busby DR, Hope MO, Lee DB, Heinze JE, Zimmerman MA. Racial Discrimination and Trajectories of Problematic Alcohol Use Among African American Emerging Adults: The Role of Organizational Religious Involvement. HEALTH EDUCATION & BEHAVIOR 2021; 49:242-255. [PMID: 34965768 DOI: 10.1177/10901981211051650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Racial discrimination jeopardizes a wide range of health behaviors for African Americans. Numerous studies demonstrate significant negative associations between racial discrimination and problematic alcohol use among African Americans. Culturally specific contexts (e.g., organized religious involvement) often function protectively against racial discrimination's adverse effects for many African Americans. Yet organized religious involvement may affect the degree to which racial discrimination increases problematic alcohol use resulting in various alcohol use trajectories. These links remain understudied in emerging adulthood marked by when individuals transition from adolescence to early adult roles and responsibilities. We use data from 496 African American emerging adults from the Flint Adolescent Study (FAS) to (a) identify multiple and distinct alcohol use trajectories and (b) examine organizational religious involvement's protective role. Three trajectory classes were identified: the high/stable, (20.76% of sample; n = 103); moderate/stable, (39.52% of sample; n = 196); and low/rising, (39.72% of the sample; n = 197). After controlling for sex, educational attainment, and general stress, the interaction between racial discrimination and organized religious involvement did not influence the likelihood of classifying into the moderate/stable class or the low/rising class, compared with the high/stable class. These results suggest organized religious involvement counteracts, but does not buffer racial discrimination's effects on problematic alcohol use. Findings emphasize the critical need for culturally sensitive prevention efforts incorporating organized religious involvement for African American emerging adults exposed to racial discrimination. These prevention efforts may lessen the role of racial discrimination on health disparities related to alcohol use.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Danielle R Busby
- Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.,University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Meredith O Hope
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.,The College of Wooster, Wooster, OH, USA
| | - Daniel B Lee
- Children's Minnesota Research Institute, Saint Paul, MN, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Saadi D, Schnell I, Tirosh E. Ethnic Differences in Environmental Restoration: Arab and Jewish Women in Israel. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182312628. [PMID: 34886353 PMCID: PMC8657086 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182312628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Throughout the last few decades, plenty of attention has been paid to restorative environments that positively affect human psychological health. These studies show that restorative environments affect human beings emotionally, physiologically, and cognitively. Some studies focus on the cognitive effects of exposure to restorative environments. A widely used index that measures the cognitive response is the Perceived Restoration Potential Scale (PRS). Most studies employing the PRS have examined differences in human cognitive response between types of urban environments mainly urban versus green ones. We use Hartig's questionnaire to expose differences between types of urban environments and ethnic groups. Variances between Arab and Jewish women were calculated in four environments: home; park; residential and central city environments. The effect of intervening variables such as exposure to thermal, noise, social and CO loads and social discomfort were tested. We find that dissimilar to urban typical built-up environments, green areas are highly restorative. Furthermore, differences in the restorativeness of different urban environments are low though significant. These differences depend on their function, aesthetic qualities, and amount of greenery. Ethno-national differences appear to affect the experience of restoration. While both ethnic related groups experienced a tremendous sense of restoration in parks, Jewish women enjoyed slightly higher levels of restoration mainly at home and in residential environments compared to Arab women who experienced higher sense of restorativness in central city environments. Jewish women experienced higher sense of being away and fascination. From the intervening variables, social discomfort explained 68 percent of the experience of restoration, noise explained 49 percent, thermal load explained 43 percent and ethnicity 14 percent of the variance in PRS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diana Saadi
- Porter School of the Environmental and Earth Sciences, The Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel;
| | - Izhak Schnell
- Department of Geography and Human Environment, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +972-502219790
| | - Emanuel Tirosh
- Bnei Zion Medical Center, (Emeritus) The Rappaport Family Faculty of Medicine, The Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 23774, Israel;
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
McKenna B, Mekawi Y, Katrinli S, Carter S, Stevens JS, Powers A, Smith AK, Michopoulos V. When Anger Remains Unspoken: Anger and Accelerated Epigenetic Aging Among Stress-Exposed Black Americans. Psychosom Med 2021; 83:949-958. [PMID: 34747582 PMCID: PMC8580214 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000001007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Race-related lifetime stress exposure (LSE) including racial discrimination, trauma, and stressful life events have been shown to contribute to racial health disparities. However, little is known about associations between race-related stressors and premature biological aging that confer the risk of adverse health outcomes. Even less is known about the mechanisms through which race-related stressors may be associated with accelerated aging. Early evidence suggests psychological processes such as anger, and particularly the internalization of anger, may play a role. METHODS In a community sample of predominantly low-income Black adults (n = 219; age = 45.91 [12.33] years; 64% female), the present study examined the association of race-related LSE (as defined by exposure to racial discrimination, trauma, and stressful life events) and epigenetic age acceleration through anger expression. RESULTS Internalized and externalized anger expression were each significantly associated with LSE and age acceleration. Although LSE was not directly associated with age acceleration (ΔR2 = 0.001, p = .64), we found that greater LSE was indirectly associated with age acceleration through increases in internalized, but not externalized, anger (indirect effect: β = 0.03, standard error = 0.02, 95% confidence interval = 0.003 to 0.08; total effect: β = 0.02, 95% confidence interval = -0.25 to 0.31). CONCLUSIONS These results suggest race-related LSE may elicit the internalization of anger, which, along with the externalization of anger, may initiate detrimental epigenetic alterations that confer the risk of adverse health outcomes. These findings lay the groundwork for longitudinal studies of the association between race-related stress and racial health disparities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Yara Mekawi
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Seyma Katrinli
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
| | - Sierra Carter
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA
| | - Jennifer S. Stevens
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Abigail Powers
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Alicia K. Smith
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
| | - Vasiliki Michopoulos
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Hargons C, Malone NJ, Montique CS, Dogan J, Stuck J, Meiller C, Sullivan QA, Sanchez A, Bohmer C, Curvey RMG, Tyler KM, Stevens-Watkins D. Race-Based Stress Reactions and Recovery: Pilot Testing a Racial Trauma Meditation. JOURNAL OF BLACK PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1177/00957984211034281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Twenty-six Black collegians were exposed to a vicarious racial harassment stimulus (VRHS) then randomized into a Black Lives Matter Meditation for Healing Racial Trauma condition or a silence control condition. Heart rate (HR) was recorded throughout the experiment. Semi-structured interviews were then conducted to elicit participants’ appraisal of the VRHS and meditation. Using a Qual:Quan mixed methods experimental design, this pilot study qualitatively categorized how participants (1) described their reactions to the VRHS and (2) appraised the meditation. Participants described three types of race-based stress reactions and reported mostly positive appraisal of the meditation, although some indicated that it would not be a preferred coping strategy. To triangulate the quantitative findings, we found a significant increase in HR during VRHS. The meditation group displayed statistically significant reductions in HR from stimulus to the end of meditation; however, there were no statistically significant differences between the control and meditation groups. Results have implications for understanding and facilitating race-based stress recovery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Candice Hargons
- Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Natalie J. Malone
- Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Chesmore S. Montique
- Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Jardin Dogan
- Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Jennifer Stuck
- Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Carolyn Meiller
- Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Queen-Ayanna Sullivan
- Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Anyoliny Sanchez
- Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Carrie Bohmer
- Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Rena M. G. Curvey
- Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Kenneth M. Tyler
- Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Okoye HU, Saewyc E. Fifteen-year trends in self-reported racism and link with health and well-being of African Canadian adolescents: a secondary data analysis. Int J Equity Health 2021; 20:108. [PMID: 33902594 PMCID: PMC8077748 DOI: 10.1186/s12939-021-01446-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We assessed the prevalence and trends in racial discrimination among African Canadian adolescents in British Columbia. The association between racial discrimination and self-rated health, access to mental health services, substance use, suicidal thoughts and attempts, experience of extreme stress, among others were examined within the 2018 dataset. METHODS Secondary analysis used the data collected from African Canadian adolescents (n = 2448) as part of the British Columbia Adolescent Health Surveys (2003-2018). We examined whether racial discrimination increased, decreased, or remained stable over time. We evaluated experiences of racial discrimination for all adolescents, and then disaggregated analyses for boys, girls, immigrant, and Canadian-born African adolescents. We used Rao-Scott's adjusted chi-square to test differences in racial discrimination and adjusted logistic regressions to test trends across survey years, widening or narrowing gaps in racial discrimination, as well as the link to health outcomes. RESULTS Racial discrimination was significantly different across the survey years (Adjusted F = 4.60, p < .01), with the highest percentage of adolescents reporting past year racial discrimination in 2018 (29.9%) and the lowest percentage in 2013 (21.3%). Girls and immigrant African Canadian adolescents were more likely to have experienced racial discrimination. However, girls and Canadian-born adolescents had the highest odds of reporting racial discrimination in 2018 compared to 2003, AOR = 1.85, and 1.58, respectively. The findings reveal significant differences in the experiences of racial discrimination for boys and girls, as well as for immigrant and Canadian-born African adolescents. Significant differences were noted in the link between racial discrimination and self-rated health and engaging in behaviours that might expose them to health risks. The worst negative health outcomes were found for boys and immigrant African Canadian adolescents. CONCLUSION The study suggests that more than 1 in 4 African Canadian adolescents in British Columbia report racial discrimination, which is an increasing trend in recent years. Those who reported racial discrimination also had the worst adverse health outcomes. There is a need for more public health action to reduce racism, create awareness about the negative health impacts, and provide better support for African Canadian adolescents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Helen U Okoye
- University of British Columbia, School of Nursing, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
| | - Elizabeth Saewyc
- University of British Columbia, School of Nursing, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Manns-James L, Anthony MK, Neal-Barnett A. Racial Discrimination, Racial Identity, and Obesity in Collegiate African American Women. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities 2020; 8:1217-1231. [PMID: 33029746 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-020-00880-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate relationships among racial discrimination, explicit racial identity, and obesity in young collegiate African American (AA) women aged 18-25. DESIGN Researchers recruited 136 women who self-identified as AA from a large Midwestern university. Racial discrimination (RD) was measured using lifetime overt experiences of discrimination, recent microaggressions, and vicarious RD directed towards close others. Explicit racial identity included dimensions of private regard, public regard, and centrality. Generalized obesity (elevated body mass index) and abdominal obesity (increased fat distribution in the midsection) were measured biometrically using kg/m2 and waist circumference, respectively. Hierarchical multiple regression was employed to explore main and interaction effects. RESULTS After controlling for adverse life events and income, overt RD, recent microaggressions, and private regard directly accounted for variance in both BMI and waist circumference. Public regard and centrality moderated relationships between RD variables and waist circumference. CONCLUSIONS RD and racial identity accounted for up to 13% of variance in BMI and waist circumference in main effects models among young collegiate AA women. While obesity is a multifactorial phenomenon, racial discrimination and racial identity may affect observed racial disparities in obesity rates among young women.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Manns-James
- Department of Midwifery and Women's Health, Frontier Nursing University, Versailles, KY, USA.
| | - Mary K Anthony
- College of Nursing, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
19
|
Brownlow BN, Sosoo EE, Long RN, Hoggard LS, Burford TI, Hill LK. Sex Differences in the Impact of Racial Discrimination on Mental Health Among Black Americans. Curr Psychiatry Rep 2019; 21:112. [PMID: 31686220 DOI: 10.1007/s11920-019-1098-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Greater racial discrimination is associated with poorer mental health among Black Americans; yet, there remains an incomplete understanding of sex differences in exposure to racial discrimination, and further, of how sex differences in coping with racial discrimination may heighten or diminish risk for poorer mental health. RECENT FINDINGS Black men may experience greater exposure to both structural and communal forms of racial discrimination, whereas Black women may face both a wider range of potential sources, as well as encounter greater variability in the subjective experience of racial discrimination. For both Black women and men, racial discrimination may be similarly associated with maladaptive coping strategies (i.e., emotional eating, rumination) that also are linked to poorer mental health; however, emerging findings suggest that mindfulness may partially buffer these deleterious effects. Overall, the recent literature reveals mixed findings with respect to sex differences in the experience and negative mental health impact of racial discrimination. Despite this heterogeneity, evidence documents sex differences in the settings, type, and qualitative experience of racial discrimination among Black Americans. Additionally, growing evidence indicating that racial discrimination is associated with physiological markers of stress reactivity and psychopathology risk further bolsters its characterization as a unique form of chronic stress among Black Americans and other minority groups in the USA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Briana N Brownlow
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Effua E Sosoo
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Risa N Long
- Department of Family Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Lori S Hoggard
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Tanisha I Burford
- Department of Psychology, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - LaBarron K Hill
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Box 3119, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
- Center for Biobehavioral Health Disparities Research, Duke University-Social Science Research Institute, Durham, NC, USA.
- Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University Medical Center, Box 3119, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Causadias JM, Korous KM. Racial Discrimination in the United States: A National Health Crisis That Demands a National Health Solution. J Adolesc Health 2019; 64:147-148. [PMID: 30660246 DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/21/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- José M Causadias
- T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Kevin M Korous
- T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| |
Collapse
|