The following is a summary of “Exploring the Impact of Racism on Black Youth: A Multidimensional Examination of Discriminatory Experiences Across Place and Time,” published in the February 2023 issue of the Adolescent Health by Wilson et al.

Young people of African descent are disproportionately affected by community violence. Teens exposed to violence may have additional difficulties if they also deal with prejudice and discrimination. The momentary ecological assessment was utilized to understand how Black youth’s perceptions of racism and social support affect their health and safety after experiencing violence. 25 Black teenagers (aged 14–19, 60% female) who had witnessed violence in the preceding three months completed a baseline survey to evaluate their exposure to prejudice, social support, post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTS), and feelings of safety.

During two weeks, a group of young people filled out “momentary ecological assessments” regarding their environment, the people they were with, how they were feeling, and how they perceived racism at that exact moment. The associations between racism, social support, post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, and feelings of safety were calculated using multilevel models that accounted for the effects of time. 76% of young people overall said they had experienced discrimination before. Higher preexisting PTS (B = 1.86, P =.001) and depressed symptoms (B = 0.13, P =.013) were found in individuals with a history of discrimination. Higher levels of widespread racism experienced in the present were associated with higher levels of PTS in young people (B = 0.50, P =.002) and lower levels of felt safety (B = 0.53, P =.003).

Perceived racism in the present was related to feeling less safe there (B = 0.09, P =.01). There was a significant (P = .05) correlation between receiving emotional and practical help and experiencing fewer PTS and a greater sense of safety. Young people’s levels of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and sense of safety all increased after experiencing racism or discrimination. To help Black kids who have been subjected to violence and discrimination, it is essential to tailor interventions to their specific experiences of racism at the time and to make use of the social support they already have.

Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1054139X22006917