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BACKGROUND: Developing an understanding of the negative impact of discrimination is critical when examining the suicidality of Black young adults in the US. Suicide rates among Black young adults have increased at alarming rates. One of the reasons for this increase is the disparities related to access to mental health services, which has long-term health consequences. This study addresses a significant gap in the literature by examining associations between experiences of everyday discrimination, attitudes towards mental health help-seeking attitudes, on the outcomes suicide ideation, planning to die by suicide, and suicide attempts. METHODS: The data came from a national study of the experiences of Black young adults regarding mental, physical, and sexual health. Participants were recruited from across the Midwestern region of the United States through Qualtrics Panels, an online survey delivery service used to recruit study participants. The total sample for this study was N = 362, and the average age of the sample was 21 (SD: 1.96). We used a logistic regression analysis to examine the role of everyday discrimination, mental health support-seeking attitudes, and covariates on the outcomes: suicide ideation, planning to die by committing suicide, and suicide attempts. RESULTS: Black young adults with positive mental health help-seeking attitudes were 34% less likely to attempt suicide (OR = 0.66; 95% CI: 0.46, 0.96) and 35% less likely to experience suicide ideation (OR = 0.65; 95% CI: 0.47, 0.89). However, those young adults who experienced discrimination daily were more likely to report having attempted suicide (OR = 1.70; 95% CI: 1.34, 2.15). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings offer valuable insights into the complex interplay between experiences of discrimination, attitudes toward seeking mental health support, and suicidal behaviors. However, our research also underscores how experiences of discrimination can significantly exacerbate feelings of isolation, hopelessness, and inadequacy, further contributing to suicidal behaviors in this population. By promoting positive mental health help-seeking behaviors, actively addressing discrimination, and applying an intersectional approach to suicide prevention efforts, we can take significant strides towards building a more supportive and inclusive society. This approach aims to empower individuals to seek help, reduce the risk of suicidal behaviors, and create a more welcoming environment for all members of our community.

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Objective: To explore relationships between mental health climate, positive mental health, sense of belonging, and depression among a U.S. national sample of Black college students. Participants: 1303 Black undergraduate and graduate students from 15 colleges and universities throughout the U.S. Methods: Data were from the 2018-2019 Healthy Minds Study. Analysis included hierarchical regression models. Results: A more positive perception of mental health climate and higher levels of both positive mental health and sense of belonging were significantly associated with lower levels of depression. Significant interactions existed between positive mental health and climate and sense of belonging and climate with buffering effects being most pronounced for students reporting high levels of positive mental health. Conclusion: Black college students' perceptions of an institution's mental health climate are associated with psychological outcomes. College health stakeholders should consider the buffering effects of protective factors on mental health when designing initiatives for Black college students.

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This study examined the impact of COVID-19 stress and experiences of racism on COVID-19 adaptability and activism among Black youth. The protective role of perceived peer and adult social support were examined. Data were analyzed from 123 Black youth (Mage = 15.44, 63% girls) from a school district in the Midwest. The findings revealed that more social support from adults increased Black youth adaptability (e.g., "ability to think through possible options to assist in the COVID-19 pandemic"). Perceived lower social support from adults predicted higher engagement in high-risk activism, and higher levels of peer social support were associated with higher levels of high-risk activism. Further, Black youth reporting higher levels of racism and adult social support were more likely to report higher levels of COVID-19 adaptability. Black youth reporting higher racism and peer social support engaged in high-risk activism. Black youth who reported high levels of racism and low perceived adult social support reported higher engagement in high-risk activism. Research and practice implications that support Black youth during the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of racism and COVID-19 stress on well-being and activism are discussed.

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Objective: Negative perceptions of institutional racial climate relate to worse mental health outcomes for Black college students. Yet, few scholars have considered how Black students' perceptions of the institutional climate for other underrepresented groups may impact mental health. Participants and Methods: We drew on a national sample of Black college students across 15 institutions (n = 1188) to examine the effects of institutional diversity climate on students' anxiety, depression, and positive mental health. Results: Black students who perceived the campus as more welcoming to first-generation reported higher positive mental health. Black students who perceived the campus as more welcoming to racial minorities, lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB), and low socioeconomic status (SES) students reported lower levels of depression and anxiety. Conclusions: Black students' perceptions of the institutional diversity climate for other groups influences their mental health outcomes, and underscores the need for more research on individual-level differences in students' mental health processes.

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Scholars have begun to address how exposure to vicarious racial violence influences stress and coping processes among Black families in the U.S. Yet, fewer scholars have considered the importance of racial grief as a component of the coping process. The current study drew upon semi-structured interview data from 31 Black mothers in the U.S. (25-52 years; M age = 35 years) to explore how mothers processed and responded to vicarious anti-Black racial violence. We used consensual qualitative research methods and identified the following themes: (a) recognizing the endemic nature of racial violence, (b) feeling frozen in fear after a new case of racial violence, and (c) transforming grief into grievance as a route to racial justice. The findings contextualize Black mothers' concerns about the racial violence that they and their children might experience during their lifetime, and how they channel this grief into actionable change against racial injustice. Authors discuss strengths-based ways to frame the role of grief and loss in the context of racism.

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BACKGROUND: Since March 2020, COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted communities of color within the United States. As schools have shifted from virtual to in-person learning, continual guidance is necessary to understand appropriate interventions to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Weekly testing of students and staff for SARS-CoV-2 within K-12 school setting could provide an additional barrier to school-based transmission, especially within schools unable to implement additional mitigation strategies and/or are in areas of high transmission. This study seeks to understand the role that weekly SARS-CoV-2 testing could play in K-12 schools. In addition, through qualitative interviews and listening sessions, this research hopes to understand community concerns and barriers regarding COVID-19 testing, COVID-19 vaccine, and return to school during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS/DESIGN: Sixteen middle and high schools from five school districts have been randomized into one of the following categories: (1) Weekly screening + symptomatic testing or (2) Symptomatic testing only. The primary outcome for this study will be the average of the secondary attack rate of school-based transmission per case. School-based transmission will also be assessed through qualitative contact interviews with positive contacts identified by the school contact tracers. Lastly, new total numbers of weekly cases and contacts within a school-based quarantine will provide guidance on transmission rates. Qualitative focus groups and interviews have been conducted to provide additional understanding to the acceptance of the intervention and barriers faced by the community regarding SARS-CoV-2 testing and vaccination. DISCUSSION: This study will provide greater understanding of the benefit that weekly screening testing can provide in reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission within K-12 schools. Close collaboration with community partners and school districts will be necessary for the success of this and similar studies. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT04875520 . Registered May 6, 2021.

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OBJECTIVES: The present study examines how race and gender-specific factors (i.e., racial centrality and gender role beliefs) serve as protective assets against the harmful impact of racial and gender discrimination on depressive symptomatology and suicidal ideation for Black girls. METHOD: Our sample included 232 Black girls ages 15-17 years old (Mage = 16.85) from a socioeconomically diverse community context. RESULTS: Our findings revealed that racial and gender discrimination from teachers was associated with higher levels of depressive symptomatology. Perceived gender discrimination by teachers and endorsing traditional gender role beliefs were associated with higher reports of suicidal ideation. Perceiving higher instances of racial discrimination from teachers and reporting lower levels of racial centrality were associated with higher depressive symptomatology. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest the need to create safe spaces and to consider the interactions that occur in school settings that impact the mental health of Black girls. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

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Employing an intersectionality-informed approach, this investigation examines how school discrimination and disciplinary inequities shape Black adolescent boys' and girls' adjustment. One hundred and twenty-six adolescents (M = 11.88 years; SD = 1.02) residing in the Southeastern United States comprised the study sample. Results indicated that school discrimination was associated with greater depressive symptoms, lower academic persistence, and lower school satisfaction (at 1-year follow-up). In a counterintuitive pattern, adolescents' perceptions of disciplinary inequities were associated with greater persistence. This investigation provided partial support for gender variation. Perceptions of school disciplinary inequities were associated with lower educational aspirations for girls, whereas systemic school discrimination was more strongly associated with boys' educational aspirations. Overall, our study suggests that school-specific systemic discrimination and disciplinary practices shape Black adolescents' adjustment.

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Despite the growing literature on the mental health implications of adverse childhood events (ACEs), little empirical evidence considers the role of sociocultural scripts in Black women's experiences of trauma and mental health. Emerging scholarship suggests that gendered racial stereotypes, such as the Superwoman Schema, might worsen the impact of ACEs on the mental health outcomes of Black women in the U.S. To address this gap, we sought to examine relationships among Black women's exposure to ACEs, endorsement of the Superwoman Schema, and mental health outcomes. The current sample included 447 Black women (20-35 years old) who completed measures of adverse childhood events, Superwoman Schema endorsement, and mental health (stress, anxiety, and depression). ACEs and endorsement of the Superwoman Schema were associated with higher stress, anxiety, and depressive symptomology. Additionally, Black women who experienced more ACEs and felt a stronger obligation to present an image of strength indicated more stress. Black women who experienced more ACEs and had a stronger determination to succeed reported higher anxiety. These results offer further evidence of the role of the Superwoman Schema on Black women's mental health. The authors discuss future research directions and clinical implications regarding the interconnections among sociocultural scripts of Black womanhood and trauma experiences.

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In a racially stratified and oppressive society, Black youth must figure out who they are and what they can achieve while navigating dehumanizing stereotypes that devalue and disregard Black lives. In the current paper, we analyze focus group interviews with Black students at a predominately Black, all-girls high school to understand the meaning, significance, and potential of Black girl space through an intersectional and developmental lens. Results revealed the challenges and opportunities particularly with regard to the relational space (peers, sexuality, identity) and the structural space (extracurriculars, policies, and building structure). We discuss the potential of Black girl space and the broader implications for educational spaces to support Black girls' development to create a more equitable and impactful developmental science.

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Social integration is a critical component of adolescents' positive school adjustment. Although prior scholars have highlighted how Black women and girls' social identities (e.g., race, gender, social class) influence their academic and social experiences in school, very little work has focused on how school racial diversity shapes Black girls' peer networks throughout K-12 education. To address this gap in the literature, the present qualitative study explored the narratives of 44 Black undergraduate women (Mage = 20 years) who reflected on their friendship choices in high school. We used consensual qualitative research methods to examine how Black women navigated friendships during their time attending predominantly White (less than 20% Black), racially diverse (21%-60% Black), and predominantly Black (61%-100% Black) high schools. Coding analyses revealed five friendship themes: (a) Black female friends, (b) mostly Black friends, (c) mostly interracial friends, (d) mostly White friends, and (e) White friends in academic settings and Black friends in social settings. Our findings highlight how the young women's ongoing negotiation of racialized and gendered school norms influenced their sense of closeness with same-race and interracial peers. Black girls may have challenges with forming lasting and meaningful friendships when they cannot find peers who are affirming and supportive, particularly in predominantly White school contexts. This study underscores the need to look at how racial diversity in the student population offers school psychologists and educators insight into how to better support the social and emotional development of Black girls.

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State sanctioned violence aimed at Black individuals and communities is an issue that has pervaded American history and society since before the establishment of the United States. For Black males, anticipating and preparing for involuntary police contact, unfortunately, is an inevitable part of life. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of reports of police abuse on mental health and perceived racial out-group perceptions and the protective role of religiosity among a nationally representative sample of Black American adolescent boys (Mage = 14.98). Linear multiple regression was used to determine the interactive effects of subjective religiosity and reported police abuse on Black American adolescent boys. Higher reports of subjective religiosity were associated with lower depressive symptomatology. Reports of police abuse were associated with lower public regard beliefs (belief that society views Black Americans less favorably). Results highlight the impact experiencing police abuse has on Black adolescent boys and we conclude with implications, areas for future research and intervention points.

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Using differential, multivariable risk models, we assessed the contribution of substance use and stress/traumatic events to hookah use among African American college students (n = 1,402) using data from the Fall 2012 American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment (ACHA-NCHA) II. Lifetime hookah use was 24.8%, with 34.2% of lifetime users having done so in the past 30 days. Compared to nonusers, hookah users had significantly higher use rates of alcohol, marijuana, other tobacco, and other drugs. Furthermore, hookah use was more likely among those with cumulative stress, yet less likely among older students. An implication is that prevention messages may need to be tailored for African American college students and particularly target younger students, substance users, and those with cumulative stress. These findings also inform policy discussions regarding hookah use on college campuses.

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This study examined various parental racial socialization messages as mediators between school-based racial discrimination and racial identity formation over 4 years for African American boys (N = 639) and African American girls (N = 711). Findings indicated that school-based racial discrimination was associated with racial identity beliefs. For African American boys, behavioral racial socialization messages mediated the relation between school-based racial discrimination and racial centrality over time. Mediation also resulted for African American girls, but for a different set of race-related messages (negative messages and racial barriers) and racial identity beliefs. The developmental significance of the findings and implications for future research are discussed.

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This study examined how having a relationship with God served as a protective factor between racial stigma beliefs and psychological well-being. A church sample of African American adolescent girls (N = 117, Mage= 15) completed measures on racial stigma, psychological well-being, and reports on having a relationship with God. After controlling for adolescent age, family income, and church attendance, positive racial beliefs and having a relationship with God were associated with a healthier psychological well-being. Findings also revealed that having a relationship with God and internalizing healthier racial beliefs were associated with a healthier psychological well-being, whereas reporting higher levels of having a relationship with God served as a protective factor for African American girls when internalizing moderate levels of racial stigma. Overall, results suggest that having a relationship with God can serve as a coping mechanism and promote a healthier psychological well-being for African American adolescent girls.

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OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to test whether parenting profiles based on racial socialization and involved-vigilant parenting would compensate for or moderate associations between racial discrimination experiences and academic outcomes and psychological well-being among African American adolescents. METHOD: Participants were 1,363 African American adolescents (Mage = 14.19; 52.3% female) from 3 Midwestern suburban school districts. Latent profile analysis was used to examine whether there were distinct combinations of parenting. The relationships among racial discrimination experiences, parenting profiles, and adjustment were examined using structural equation modeling (SEM). RESULTS: Three distinct parenting profiles were found: moderate positive (n = 767; moderately high involved-vigilant parenting and racial barrier, racial pride, behavioral, and egalitarian messages, and low negative messages), unengaged (n = 351; low racial socialization messages and moderately low involved-vigilant parenting), and high negative parenting (n = 242; high negative messages, moderate other racial socialization messages, and moderately low involved-vigilant parenting). Racial discrimination experiences were negatively associated with youth adjustment. Moderate positive parenting was related to the best academic outcomes and unengaged parenting was associated with more positive academic outcomes than high negative parenting. Moderate positive parenting was associated with better psychological well-being than unengaged or high negative parenting although the benefits were greater for adolescents with fewer racial discrimination experiences. CONCLUSIONS: Distinct patterns of racial socialization messages and involved-vigilant parenting contribute to differences in African American youth adjustment. (PsycINFO Database Record

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Violence and relationship abuse are pervasive public health problems that have a range of negative effects, with exceptionally high prevalence among ethno-racial minority youth. This study assesses the prevalence of these types of violence among American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) students and examines the impact of victimization on academic performance of AI/AN and non-AI/AN student populations using self-reported college health survey data. Results show that students who identified fully or partially as AI/AN reported markedly higher rates of all types of violence/abuse than did other students, and students who had experienced violence/abuse had lower grade point averages (GPAs) compared with those who had not. Recommendations for future research and direct practice with AI/AN students are discussed.

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This study examines school climate, racial identity beliefs, and achievement motivation beliefs within a cultural-ecological and risk and resilience framework. Data were drawn from a longitudinal study of 733 (Mage  = 14.49) African American adolescent girls. A linear mixed effects model was used to determine if racial identity dimensions moderated the relationship between school climate and achievement motivation beliefs across four waves. Results revealed that racial identity (private regard and racial centrality) and ideology (nationalist) beliefs were associated with higher achievement motivation beliefs over time, while racial centrality and private regard, and a sense of belonging served as protective factors. The findings contribute to the importance of racial identity beliefs and increase the visibility of African American girls.

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