Examining the unique and additive effect of trauma and racial microaggressions on substance use risk among Black young adults

OBJECTIVE

Exposure to traumatic events is linked to adverse health outcomes, including substance use. Contemporary models have conceptualized racism, including racial microaggressions, as a form of trauma. However, few studies have been conducted examining the unique and additive effect of racial microaggressions within models that include exposure to traditional forms of trauma on substance use outcomes, as well as whether effects vary by gender.

METHOD

Three hundred and ninety-nine Black young adults between 18 and 29 (61% female, mean age 20.7) completed measures on problem alcohol and cannabis use, and experiences of trauma and racial microaggressions.

RESULTS

Controlling for age, gender, income, race (i.e., monoracial vs. multiracial), and recruitment source, regression analyses showed that racial microaggressions predicted problem substance use above the effect of trauma exposure. Moreover, exoticization/assumptions of similarity and workplace/school microaggressions primarily accounted for the effect of racial microaggressions on substance use risk. One gender effect was found, with trauma exposure associated with lower cannabis use for Black males and a nonsignificant effect found for Black females.

CONCLUSIONS

Racial microaggressions provide unique and additive understanding in risk for substance use outcomes among Black young adults above effects observed from exposure to traditional forms of trauma. This finding highlights the significance of racial microaggression on health outcomes for Black young adults and can inform future research in the area of trauma exposure and substance use risk among this population of young people. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Examining the effects of implicit and explicit racial identity on psychological distress and substance use among Black young adults

Racial identity is an aspect of self-concept that is important to the mental and behavioral health of Black individuals. Yet, much of the current research on racial identity is based on self-report measures which may impact findings due to reporting biases. One way to alleviate some of the measurement concerns is to use implicit measures to assess racial identity. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether an implicit assessment of racial identity, specifically racial centrality, provided a unique contribution to the understanding of risk for psychological distress and substance use among Black young adults above potential effects observed from an explicit measurement of racial identity. Additionally, the potential moderating effect of implicit racial identity, controlling for explicit racial identity, on the association between racial discrimination and these health outcomes was also examined. One hundred and forty-seven Black young adults participated in this study. Contrary to our hypothesis, there was no significant main effect of implicit racial centrality on depressive symptoms or substance use after accounting for explicit racial centrality. However, after controlling for explicit racial centrality, a significant moderating effect of implicit racial centrality on the relationship between racial discrimination and substance use was observed. Although support for all of our hypotheses was not definitively found, our findings can be added to this emerging area of study. Additionally, potential explanations for the findings are provided that can be used to inform future research in this area to better understand the utility of assessing for implicit racial identity among Black young adults. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Dieting and substance use among White and Black adolescent girls

OBJECTIVE

Previous research has found an increasing co-occurrence of dieting and substance use behavior among adolescent girls. However, to date few studies have examined the temporal ordering of these behaviors. Further, limited research has been conducted to explore whether the pathways are similar among both White and Black girls.

METHOD

For the current study 1580 girls (grade 6-11; 78.2% White; 21.8% Black) provided data on their dieting behavior and substance use. A cross-lagged panel design was used to examine the concurrent and prospective relationship between dieting behavior and substance use across one year, then by race.

RESULTS

Among the full sample of girls, there was a significant concurrent relationship. Additionally, dieting behavior predicted substance use one year later, but the inverse relationship was not found. For the stratified analysis, dieting behavior and substance use were not correlated among Black girls at either time point, however concurrent relationships were found for White girls. For the prospective pathways non-significant effects were found for both groups.

DISCUSSION

These findings provide support for a temporal relationship between dieting behavior and substance use, such that the former predicts risk for the latter. However, when examined by race, some pathways of the full sample were found for White girls, whereas Black girls did not report an association between study variables. Thus, future studies should consider the impact of race within risk pathways.

Perceived Discrimination and Substance Use among Adolescents: Examining the Moderating Effect of Distress Tolerance and Negative Urgency

BACKGROUND

Perceived discrimination has been found to increase substance use vulnerability among adolescent populations. However, less is known about individual level factors which may moderate this risk.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the current study is to examine whether two emotion-based personality traits (i.e., distress tolerance and negative urgency) moderates the effect of perceived discrimination on substance use. We hypothesized that high distress tolerance would decrease risk, while high negative urgency would increase risk for substance use as a consequence of discrimination.

METHODS

108 youth ages 12-18 (68.6% male; 56.2% African-American) provided data on perceived discrimination, distress tolerance, negative urgency, and substance use (i.e., alcohol and marijuana use).

RESULTS

Contrary to our hypothesis, no moderating effect was observed for negative urgency. Distress tolerance was found to moderate the relationship, but in the opposite direction than expected.

CONCLUSIONS

It is speculated that this counterintuitive finding may be due to the racial/ethnic composition of the sample, suggesting that distress tolerance may operate differently among minority youth. Further research examining these relationships among minority youth is warranted.

Peer victimization and substance use: Understanding the indirect effect of depressive symptomatology across gender

OBJECTIVE

Peer victimization in school is common, with emerging literature suggesting that it may also increase risk for substance abuse. Yet, little is known about the underlying mechanisms within this risk pathway. The objective of this study is to use a prospective 3-wave design to examine the mediating role of depressive symptomatology on the relationship between peer victimization and substance use, as well as examine if the pathway varies based on gender.

METHOD

801 youth between 6th and 12th grade completed surveys across three years, which included measures on school peer victimization, depression symptomatology and substance use. Models tested the mediational pathway between victimization, depressive symptoms, and substance use. Models were stratified by gender.

RESULTS

Controlling for grade and the effect of each variable across waves, a significant indirect effect of peer victimization on substance use through depressive symptoms was found for females, with a non-significant indirect effect for males.

CONCLUSION

Results suggest that female youth who are victimized by peers engage in substance use behaviors, at least in part, due to increases in depressive symptoms. Given its effect on depression, female victims may therefore benefit from coping skills training that targets emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills in order to combat increased risk for substance use behaviors as a coping response to their victimization. Further research is warranted to better understand the risk pathway for male youth who also experience peer victimization.

Trends in typologies of concurrent alcohol, marijuana, and cigarette use among US adolescents: An ecological examination by sex and race/ethnicity

Substance use during adolescence is a public health concern due to associated physical and behavioral health consequences. Such consequences are amplified among concurrent substance users. Although sex and racial/ethnic differences in single-substance use have been observed, the current literature is inconclusive as to whether differences exist in the prevalence of concurrent use. The current study used data from the 2011-2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health to examine typologies (single and concurrent patterns) of alcohol, marijuana, and cigarette use among current adolescent users age 12-18 by sex and race/ethnicity. Participants were 14,667 White, Hispanic, African American, Asian, and Native American adolescents. The most common typology was alcohol only, followed by concurrent use of alcohol and marijuana. Weighted prevalence estimates indicated that adolescent females were more likely to be current users of alcohol only, whereas male adolescents were more likely to belong to all other typologies. Compared to Whites, racial/ethnic minorities had larger proportions of marijuana only users and were generally less likely than or equally likely to be concurrent users. One exception was for African American adolescents, who were more likely to be alcohol and marijuana users than their White counterparts. Results suggest that concurrent substance use is common among U.S. adolescents, making up over 40% of past-month use, but typologies of use vary by sex and race/ethnicity. Preventive interventions should consider all typologies of use rather than only single substance exposures and address patterns of use that are most pertinent to adolescents based on sex and race/ethnicity.

The family practitioner

Images