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Symposia

Mental Health Disparities

Understanding and Addressing Structural Stressors Impacting Youth Mental Health through Novel, Affirming Interventions

3 - (SYM 3) Helping Black Youth and Young Adults Cope with Racism-related Stress Using Mhealth

Friday, November 21, 2025
10:39 AM - 10:56 AM CST
Location: Strand 1, Level 2
Keywords: Mental Health Disparities, Treatment Development, Adolescents
Recommended Readings: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report: 2011-2021. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.,   Lipson, S. K., Zhou, S., Abelson, S., Heinze, J., Jirsa, M., Morigney, J., Patterson, A., Singh, M., & Eisenberg, D. (2022). Trends in college student mental health and help-seeking by race/ethnicity: Findings from the national healthy minds study, 2013-2021. Journal of Affective Disorders, 306, 138–147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2022.03.038,   Ramos, G., & Chavira, D. A. (2022). Use of Technology to Provide Mental Health Care for Racial and Ethnic Minorities: Evidence, Promise, and Challenges. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 29(1), 15–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpra.2019.10.004,   Ringle, V. A. M., Sung, J. Y., Roulston, C. A., & Schleider, J. L. (2024). Mixed-methods examination of adolescent-reported barriers to accessing mental health services. Journal of Adolescent Health, 74(2), 268–276.,   Zimmerman, A., Garman, E., Avendano-Pabon, M., Araya, R., Evans-Lacko, S., McDaid, D., Park, A.-L., Hessel, P., Diaz, Y., Matijasevich, A., Ziebold, C., Bauer, A., Paula, C. S., & Lund, C. (2021). The impact of cash transfers on mental health in children and young people in low-income and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Global Health, 6(4), e004661. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2020-004661
Abstract Body
There are several disparities in access to traditional mental healthcare among Black youth (Rodgers et al., 2022). Furthermore, suicide rates among Black youth are rising, highlighting an urgent need for accessible and affirming interventions (Bridge et al., 2018). Mobile health (mHealth) technology can reduce psychological distress (Donker et al., 2013), yet few culturally tailored interventions exist. While Black youth express interest in mHealth tools, they often find existing apps unappealing or lacking cultural relevance (Willis & Neblett, 2023). This study examines a novel mHealth intervention designed to help Black youth process and cope with racism-related stress. Users log experiences of racism (e.g., interpersonal, structural, etc.), which a culturally trained language model analyzes, providing psychoeducation on the type of racism experienced and recommending culturally relevant coping strategies. Daily messages promoting positive racial identity, a protective factor against racism-related stress, are also delivered.

This presentation explores whether Black youth find the intervention accessible (i.e., user-friendly, culturally relevant) and acceptable (i.e., useful and engaging) and whether it reduces the impact of racism-related stress on mental health. It also examines whether daily exposure to positive racial identity messages enhances racial identity beliefs, which may correlate with fewer mental health symptoms. Phase 1 focus groups identified key intervention needs, including coping with discrimination and strengthening racial identity (Willis & Neblett, 2023; Willis et al., in prep). Based on these insights, the culturally tailored intervention is being finalized. In May 2025, focus groups (~10 Black youth and young adults) will assess accessibility and acceptability. A 30-day pilot study (June-August 2025) with 100 Black young adults will track daily racism experiences, coping strategies, and mental health. Participants will receive three daily positive racial identity messages and log changes in racial centrality, racial regard, depression, anxiety, and stress. It is hypothesized that self-reported racism experiences will not predict next-day mental health symptoms, that racial identity beliefs will increase over 30 days and correlate with reduced symptoms, and that culturally specific coping strategies will buffer against racism-related distress. Preliminary results will be discussed and have the potential to inform culturally tailored digital interventions for Black youth.