(PS4-73) Understanding Racial Differences in the Role of Emotional Awareness in Academic Achievement of Trauma-Exposed Individuals

Abstract Text: Students who have experienced trauma often struggle with cognitive functioning, behavior management, and school attendance (Bohannon et al., 2019). In response, there has been growing advocacy for psychoeducational programs to support trauma-exposed students, often focusing on emotional regulation (Davidson, 2017). However, research has found that cultural background influence emotional expression and regulation strategies. For instance, Matsumoto et al. (2008) found that cultures prioritizing hierarchy and social order tend to emphasize emotional suppression. Such findings prompt further exploration of how different racial groups regulate emotions, particularly in the context of trauma.

Building on this, the current study examines whether emotional awareness moderates the relationship between trauma exposure and academic achievement and how this differs by race. Data were drawn from the Comprehensive Adaptive Multisite Prevention of University Student Suicide (CAMPUS) Trial. Participants were college students with moderate to severe suicidal ideation (n = 227, White = 56.4%, Nonwhite = 43.6%). Measures included Academic Competence and the Life Stressor Checklist (LSC). Additionally, the Lack of Emotional Awareness subscale from the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) was utilized, as research has found that emotional awareness is negatively associated with maladaptive emotion regulation strategies and negative affectivity (Subic-Wrana et al., 2014).

A moderated linear regression was conducted to assess trauma exposure, emotional awareness, race, and students’ perceptions of how their mental health affects their academic performance. There were significant main effects for lack of emotional awareness (β = -0.177, p = .009), life stressors (β = .130, p = .05), and race (β = .145, p = .03) on students’ perceived academic impact of mental health. These results suggest that higher emotional awareness, being White, and experiencing more life stressors were associated with a greater perceived impact of mental health on academic performance. Furthermore, analyses revealed an interaction between emotional awareness and race trending toward significance (β = -0.133, p = .05), indicating that emotional awareness may play a stronger role in how nonwhite students perceive the impact of mental health on their academics. Future analyses will further examine this interaction within individual racial groups.

Given the critical role of emotional awareness in shaping perceptions of mental health’s academic impact, particularly for nonwhite students, schools should prioritize culturally affirming support systems and mental health interventions. As nonwhite students are more vulnerable to stressors such as interpersonal discrimination, social isolation, and vicarious racism (Jochman et al., 2019), implementing culturally tailored programs to enhance emotional awareness may foster more adaptive emotion regulation strategies and greater academic success. Schools should leverage their role as a familiar and accessible environment where students have equitable access to resources and interventions that promote academic success, regardless of race, cultural background, or historical factors.