(PS4-51) Exploring Sources of Resilience: Racial Identity, Racial Socialization, and Internalizing Symptoms in Black Youth

Abstract Text: Racial and ethnic minority youth experience higher levels of trauma and face barriers to treatment, both of which are exacerbated by racism (Pachter et al., 2017). Racial Socialization (RS) is the process of transmitting cultural values, racial identity, and group relations through conversations and interactions (Metzger et al., 2023). RS aids youth of color in coping with race-related stressors and is linked to better mental health outcomes (Anderson & Stevenson, 2019). This study aims to examine the associations between racial discrimination frequency, discrimination-related distress, racial identity, and internalizing symptoms among Black youth with significant trauma histories. We hypothesize that 1) greater exposure to microaggressions and higher discrimination-related distress will be associated with higher internalizing symptoms, 2) higher racial identity will be associated with lower discrimination-related distress, and that 3) caregivers' use of RS strategies will also be associated with lower racial discrimination-related distress and internalizing symptoms, such that racial identity and RS will be associated with better mental health outcomes for Black youth.
Our study is conducted through a community-academic partnership, with participants recruited directly from the community. Participants are Black youth ages 8-17 years and their caregivers who completed baseline assessments as part of community-based trauma-focused intervention study. Data collection is currently ongoing with a final anticipated sample size of N = 24, estimated to be sufficient to detect small to medium-sized bivariate correlations with 80% power at α = .05. Youth completed the Adolescent Daily Discrimination Index (ADDI; Fisher et al., 1997), which assesses both discrimination exposure and related distress, and the Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity—Teen (MIBI-T; Scottham et al., 2003) to assess racial identity. Youth and caregivers each reported on caregivers’ use of racial socialization (Banales et al., 2020). Internalizing symptoms were assessed via the Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach and Rescorla 2001) and the Youth Self Report (YSR; Achenbach et al., 2001). To test our hypotheses, we will conduct bivariate correlational analyses to examine the associations between youth-reported racial discrimination frequency, discrimination-related distress, caregivers’ use of racial socialization, racial identity dimensions, and internalizing symptoms.
This study will contribute to the understanding of how racial discrimination and related distress relate to internalizing symptoms, which are frequently overlooked for Black youth. Findings may offer insight into designing culturally responsive interventions aimed at supporting the well-being of Black youth.