Ethnic and racial identity during adolescence and into young adulthood: an integrated conceptualization

Gender identity importance in cisgender and gender diverse adolescents in the US and Canada

Transgender adolescents often categorize themselves in the same way that cisgender adolescents do-that is, as girls/women and boys/men. Potential differences in the extent to which these self-categorizations matter to transgender and cisgender adolescents, however, have yet to be explored, as has the relative importance transgender adolescents place on their gender compared to their transgender self-categorization. In the current study, we explored self-reported identity importance in a sample of 392 primarily White (70%) and multiracial/ethnic (20%) 12-18-year-old (M = 15.02) binary transgender (n = 130), binary cisgender (n = 236), and nonbinary (n = 26) adolescents in the United States and Canada. Results revealed that binary transgender adolescents considered their gender self-categorization to be more important to them than both binary cisgender and nonbinary adolescents did. Most binary transgender adolescents rated their gender self-categorization as maximally important to them. Additionally, transgender adolescents considered their gender self-categorization to be more important to them than their transgender self-categorization (that is, their identification with the label "transgender"). These findings demonstrate that the identities that are often denied to binary transgender adolescents may be the very identities that are most important to them. Results also suggest that gender diverse adolescents with different gender identities may differ in the importance they place on these identities.

A Systematic Review of Modern Measures for Capturing Children's Ethnic and Racial Attitudes, Stereotypes, and Discrimination

In recent years, there have been accelerated efforts among developmental scientists to understand and address children's ethnic and racial attitudes, stereotypes, and discrimination. For such efforts, using high-quality and context-appropriate measures is critical. However, focused discussions and investigations of measures for capturing children's ethnic and racial attitudes, stereotypes, and discrimination are scant. Accordingly, we conducted a systematic review of 1,001 measures that were used in 403 journal articles published between 2010 and 2022. Our review was guided by four questions: (1) What types of measures of children's ethnic and racial attitudes, stereotypes, and discrimination are being used by researchers?; (2) How do measures represent target groups?; (3) In which geographic and demographic contexts are measures being used?; and (4) What evidence do we have about some of the psychometric properties of commonly used scales/tasks? In seeking answers to these questions, we found both strengths and problems with our field's toolkit of measures. Taken together, our review provides an overview of modern measures for capturing children's ethnic and racial attitudes, stereotypes, and discrimination; offers initial insights about the characteristics and psychometric properties of those measures; and makes recommendations for future efforts in the field. We argue that measurement evaluation is a fertile avenue for future work in our field and that widespread discussions about measurement are necessary to advance the science of how children feel, think about, and behave toward members of different social groups.

Differing gender diverse children have differing experiences with same- and other-gender peers

How gender diversity is exhibited varies: some individuals feel similar to the other gender; others experience little similarity to either gender, and some feel similar to both genders. For children, do these variations relate to differing relationships with peers? The goal was to assess whether a community sample of children (884, Mage = 9.04, SD = .90, 51% boys/1 transgender boy; 57% non-Latinx) with differing types of gender diversity have differing relationship experiences and beliefs about same- and other-gender peers. Gender diversity was determined by gender self-concepts (Both-Gender Similar, Cross-Gender Similar, Low-Gender Similar); these were compared among themselves and to gender-typical children (Own-Gender Similar). Results confirmed that children who exhibited differing gender diversity patterns varied in their peer experiences such that gender self-concept matching was found: Children who felt more similar to other-gender peers reported more contact and felt included and efficacious with other-gender peers; children who felt more similar to same-gender peers reported more contact and felt included and efficacious with same-gender peers. These findings suggest that children with two of the atypical patterns (i.e., Cross-Gender and Both-Gender) may experience social benefits that gender typical children do not. These findings illustrate the variability and strengths among gender diverse children.

Daily rumination and diurnal cortisol patterns in Latino adolescents: The moderating role of sex

Latinos make up the fastest-growing ethnic minority group in the United States and are at higher risk for the development of internalizing symptoms in adolescence than other ethnic groups. Rumination has been identified as a transdiagnostic risk factor associated with several internalizing disorders such as depression, anxiety, and comorbidities of the two. Indicators of risk for chronic stress and internalizing disorders can also be observed from the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis (e.g., diurnal cortisol slopes [DCS]; cortisol awakening responses [CAR]). Notably, no studies have examined within-group heterogeneity in the association between rumination and the DCS in Latino populations, and literature on the relation between rumination and the CAR is mixed. Leveraging self-reported rumination and gold-standard salivary cortisol collection procedures, the current study elucidated associations between daily rumination and diurnal cortisol in an adolescent Latino sample (N = 209) and examined sex as a potential moderator of this association. Results indicated a significant, small association between night-before rumination on problems/stress and next-day DCS; on days where participants ruminated more than usual regarding their problems/stress, they experienced, on average, a flatter DCS the following day. Sex differences were detected in the effects of same-day rumination and the CAR, such that greater rumination on feelings was associated with a smaller CAR the same day, but only for males. Findings inform future research regarding potential bidirectional relations of daily rumination and the CAR, as well as how different foci of rumination may have differential associations with physiological stress systems of males and females.

Racism and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning in childhood as risks for health disparities across the lifespan

Racism is a primary social determinant of health and chronic stressor that affects the physical and mental health of People of Color and Indigenous Individuals (POCI) and perpetuates racial and ethnic health disparities. Despite the impact of racism on POCI, the mechanisms through which experiences of racism result in negative health outcomes remain understudied, in particular among children. Dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is one of the possible mechanisms. Frequent and prolonged exposure to chronic stressors may result in dysregulation of the HPA axis, and in turn cause adverse physical and psychological health outcomes for POCI children. This paper argues for the importance of examining HPA axis dysregulation as a mechanism that links racism during early childhood to negative health outcomes over the lifespan. Several studies have explored the relationship between racism and HPA axis dysregulation during adulthood and adolescence and have found associations between racism and salivary and hair cortisol. Recent studies have identified racial and ethnic differences in cortisol levels during early childhood, but only one study, to our knowledge, explored whether the differences are attributed to racism. In this paper, we conduct a review of the existing literature on the links between racism and HPA axis dysregulation during adulthood and adolescence given the dearth of studies exploring this relationship during early childhood. We also highlight the importance of utilizing an intersectionality framework in the study of racism and health to provide a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of health disparities among and within racial/ethnic groups. Using this evidence along with consideration of relevant models, we propose how HPA axis dysregulation identified early in life may foreshadow children's increased risk for negative health outcomes from racism and other systems of oppression and signal the need for prevention and intervention.

Ethnic Identity and Past 30-Day Opioid Misuse: Mediating Effect of Relational Support

INTRODUCTION

Black Americans in Kentucky are disproportionately dying from opioid overdoses compared to other racial and ethnic groups. Despite increased mortality among this population, limited research examines factors associated with recent opioid misuse among Black adults in Kentucky. Previous literature shows that relational support and ethnic identity protect racial and ethnic minority groups from substance use behaviors, but limited research examines how these factors are associated with opioid misuse among Black adults. Grounded in Social Identity Theory, the present study examines the effect of ethnic identity on opioid misuse and the mediating effect of relational support.

METHOD

Participants were 735 Black adults in Kentucky stratified by age and gender. Participants completed a quantitative survey examining ethnic identity, relational support, and past 30-day opioid misuse. Data were examined using PROCESS macro mediation analysis to determine the association between ethnic identity and recent opioid misuse, and whether relational support mediates this relationship.

RESULTS

While there was not a direct effect of ethnic identity on recent opioid misuse, there was a significant indirect/mediated effect. Specifically, increased ethnic identity is significantly associated with decreased past 30-day opioid misuse through increases in relational support.

CONCLUSIONS

Results highlight important implications for working with Black adults who misuse opioids (e.g., in clinical substance use treatment settings) that are discussed, such as the importance of fostering strong relational supports, such as instrumental and emotional support.

Longitudinal and Geographic Trends in Perceived Racial Discrimination Among Adolescents in the United States: The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study

PURPOSE

To assess longitudinal and geographic variation in perceived discrimination from ages 10-11 to 13-14 years in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development cohort, and to examine how these experiences are shaped by contextual factors such as neighborhood segregation and state-level racial bias.

METHODS

Data were drawn from the longitudinal Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (release 5.1), analyzing years 1, 2, and 4, corresponding to approximate ages 10-11, 11-12, and 13-14 years. Perceived discrimination was assessed using items adapted from the Perceived Discrimination Scale. Mixed-effects logistic regression models examined how perceived discrimination varied across time, demographic factors, and contextual variables, with models weighted using American Community Survey raked propensity scores to ensure national representativeness.

RESULTS

Black, Asian American and Pacific Islander, and Other/Multiracial non-Hispanic youth showed increasing trajectories of perceived discrimination over time, while Native American and White non-Hispanic youth exhibited decreasing trends. Significant geographic variation emerged, with Black youth reporting elevated discrimination across all regions, particularly in the West and South. Youth living in areas with concentrated poor Black households and in states with high anti-Black bias reported higher discrimination. Youth with immigrant backgrounds generally reported higher levels of perceived discrimination across most racial/ethnic groups.

DISCUSSION

Perceived discrimination follows distinct developmental trajectories during early adolescence that vary significantly by race, ethnicity, geography, and structural context. These findings highlight the critical need for targeted interventions during this developmental period, particularly for Black, Asian American and Pacific Islander, and Other/Multiracial youth. Context-specific approaches to addressing racism are essential for mitigating its harmful effects on adolescent development.

Governance for anti-racist AI in healthcare: integrating racism-related stress in psychiatric algorithms for Black Americans

While the world is aware of America's history of enslavement, the ongoing impact of anti-Black racism in the United States remains underemphasized in health intervention modeling. This Perspective argues that algorithmic bias-manifested in the worsened performance of clinical algorithms for Black vs. white patients-is significantly driven by the failure to model the cumulative impacts of racism-related stress, particularly racial heteroscedasticity. Racial heteroscedasticity refers to the unequal variance in health outcomes and algorithmic predictions across racial groups, driven by differential exposure to racism-related stress. This may be particularly salient for Black Americans, where anti-Black bias has wide-ranging impacts that interact with differing backgrounds of generational trauma, socioeconomic status, and other social factors, promoting unaccounted for sources of variance that are not easily captured with a blanket "race" factor. Not accounting for these factors deteriorates performance for these clinical algorithms for all Black patients. We outline key principles for anti-racist AI governance in healthcare, including: (1) mandating the inclusion of Black researchers and community members in AI development; (2) implementing rigorous audits to assess anti-Black bias; (3) requiring transparency in how algorithms process race-related data; and (4) establishing accountability measures that prioritize equitable outcomes for Black patients. By integrating these principles, AI can be developed to produce more equitable and culturally responsive healthcare interventions. This anti-racist approach challenges policymakers, researchers, clinicians, and AI developers to fundamentally rethink how AI is created, used, and regulated in healthcare, with profound implications for health policy, clinical practice, and patient outcomes across all medical domains.

The protective role of school connectedness in the relationship between child maltreatment and internalizing symptoms for White, Black, Latino/Hispanic, and multiracial youth

BACKGROUND

Child maltreatment is a public health concern associated with increased youth internalizing symptoms. School connectedness has been shown to play a protective role in the relationship between child maltreatment and externalizing symptoms; yet, its protective role on internalizing symptoms for youth in different racial/ethnic subgroups remains underexplored.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to examine whether school connectedness buffers the effect of child maltreatment on internalizing symptoms for White, Black, Latino/Hispanic, and multiracial youth.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Data were drawn from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a longitudinal birth cohort study in 20 US cities, comprising 3021 youth with maltreatment experiences.

METHODS

Ordinary least squares regression models were conducted separately for racial/ethnic subgroups to examine the interaction effect between child maltreatment subtypes and school connectedness on internalizing symptoms (i.e., youth-reported depression/anxiety, caregiver-reported internalizing symptoms) for White, Black, Latino/Hispanic, and multiracial youth.

RESULTS

School connectedness was generally associated with lower levels of youth internalizing symptoms for all racial/ethnic groups. Interaction effects suggested that, for White youth only, school connectedness moderated the relationship between psychological aggression and caregiver-reported youth internalizing symptoms (B = -1.46, p = .029) and physical assault and youth-reported depressive symptoms (B = -1.04, p = .044).

CONCLUSIONS

While school connectedness was linked to lower internalizing symptoms for all youth, its buffering effects against child maltreatment were less evident among minoritized racial/ethnic groups. Continued efforts should prioritize creating supportive school contexts to better serve the needs of racially/ethnically minoritized youth with maltreatment histories.

Promoting Identity Development, Multicultural Attitudes, and Civic Engagement Through Ethnic Studies: Evidence From a Natural Experiment

This study used a natural experiment design to examine the impact of ethnic studies courses on students' ethnic-racial identity (ERI) development, multicultural attitudes, and civic engagement during the 2021-2022 school year in Minneapolis, MN (N = 535; 33.5% White, 29.5% Black, 21.1% Latine, 10.7% multi-racial; 44.7% female, 7.1% non-binary). Compared to students who were quasi-randomly assigned to a control class, 9th graders taking an ethnic studies class (treatment group) engaged in significantly more midpoint ERI exploration (β = 0.12), resulting in stronger endpoint ERI resolution (β = 0.48-0.57). Increased exploration mediated more favorable attitudes toward multiculturalism (indirect effect = 0.05) and more frequent civic engagement activities (indirect effect = 0.02). Results have implications for policy efforts to expand ethnic studies.

Learning (Not) to Know: Examining How White Ignorance Manifests and Functions in White Adolescents' Racial Identity Narratives

In critical approaches to the study of whiteness, white ignorance refers to systematic and intentional ways of (not) knowing that function to perpetuate racism. The current critical qualitative analysis examines how white ignorance surfaces in the racial identity narratives of white adolescents (N = 69, Mage = 15.91, SD = 0.49, data collected 2017-2019). Using semi-structured interview data, we identified three manifestations of accommodation to white ignorance: constructing white as disadvantaged, framing race(ism) as unimportant and elsewhere, and the active refusal to know or imagine racial oppression. Alongside this accommodation we also observed a less common but important thread of resistance to white ignorance: seeing (and naming) systemic racism. The findings reveal how white ignorance as a macrosystemic cultural practice becomes embedded in, and strengthened through, the micro-level racial identities of white adolescents. Implications for conceptualizing and contextualizing white racial identity in developmental science are discussed.

Intersectional Dynamics of Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration: Examining Health Outcomes among Black Immigrant Youth through Ethnic-Racial Identity Development and Critical Consciousness

Despite the rise in racial justice and immigrant rights movements in the United States of America (USA), the experiences of Black immigrants at the intersection of these movements remain undertheorized. For Black immigrant youth, these experiences - marked by anti-Black racism and xenophobia - can significantly impact psychological well-being and physical health, particularly during adolescence, a crucial period of identity formation and sociopolitical awareness. We propose the Intersectional Dynamics of Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration (ID-REI) theoretical framework that explores how distal (e.g., structural racism, sociopolitical relations between countries) and proximal (e.g., ethnic-racial socialization, family and individual cultural practices) factors related to race, ethnicity, and immigration interact to influence health outcomes through ethnic-racial identity (ERI) development and critical consciousness. The ID-REI theoretical framework emphasizes the unique challenges faced by Black immigrant youth, while highlighting the developmental assets of ERI and critical consciousness as protective mechanisms to mitigate adverse mental and physical health outcomes.

Social-Environmental Constraints on the Development of a Concealable Stigmatized Identity Predict Psychological Distress

People who are stigmatized along concealable features (e.g., individuals reporting adverse childhood experiences) often experience challenges to the self-concept, which can promote psychological distress. Developing a stigmatized identity might counter these effects, but the internality of concealable features can forestall this process: individuals may look to similarly-stigmatized others, but if these group members remain concealed (i.e., are not "out"), they are less identifiable as guides for development. In two studies (Ntotal = 845), less outness among similarly-stigmatized others in the social environment predicted increased distress-but only for individuals reporting low progress in processes of positive meaning-making (Studies 1 and 2) and exploration (Study 2). The interaction held when controlling for stigmatizing views endorsed by non-stigmatized counterparts (Study 2). Findings highlight similarly-stigmatized others as important constituents of the social environment: low group visibility and accessibility may uniquely contribute to distress for individuals at early phases of developing a positive and clear stigmatized identity.

The co-development of ethnic identity and future orientation among ethnically/racially minoritized adolescents: A parallel process model

This brief report examined the co-development of ethnic/racial identity (ERI) and future orientation among ethnically/racially minoritized adolescents. The current study used three waves of longitudinal data (N = 619) spanning 8th to 10th grades from a diverse sample (55.9% Latino/a/x, 21.2% biracial/multiethnic/other, 13.2% Asian, 9.7% Black; 54.1% female; 57.4% economically disadvantaged). We investigated the developmental trajectories of future orientation and ethnic identity and determined if these trajectories were interrelated. The results of the single and parallel process latent growth curve models showed that mean levels of ERI increased while future orientation decreased over time. Initial levels of ERI were significantly related to accelerated declines in future orientation. Exploratory analyses, which tested distinct forms of ethnic/racial discrimination as moderators, revealed that the negative association between ERI in 8th grade and the rate of change in future orientation was significant only at average and high levels of educator-perpetrated discrimination. These results point to complex interrelations between ERI formation and experiences of ethnic/racial discrimination and their influence on trajectories of future orientation during early to middle adolescence.

Predictors of Biracial adolescent racial self-categorization when confronted with monoracist demographic forms

The current study draws from literature on Multiracial ethnic-racial identity development processes and utilizes logistic regression models to identify what factors inform ethnic-racial self-categorization choices when confronted with a monoracial paradigm of race in a sample of Biracial high school students. Separate logistic regression models analyzed how family ethnic-racial socialization, phenotype, friend groups, and experiences with discrimination are associated with the racial category for Biracial White, Asian, Black, Native American, and Latinx youth, respectively, when asked to choose just one racial background. Results suggest that the associations of family ethnic-racial socialization, experiences with discrimination, and skin color with self-categorization vary in directionality and strength for different groups of Biracial adolescents. However, adolescents with a greater proportion of friends in a given ethnic-racial group were more likely to self-categorize with that respective ethnic-racial group across all models. These findings provide a nuanced understanding of how Biracial youth draw on various aspects of their lived experiences when confronting monoracism.

Exploring the Role of Ethnic Identity, Attachment, and Family Prosocial Opportunities on BIPOC Adolescents' Anxiety and Depression

Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) adolescents experience oppressive mental health stressors and barriers to receiving treatment. Ethnic identity development, attachment to parents, and family prosocial opportunities have been associated with improved mental health outcomes in BIPOC adolescents, yet there is a dearth of literature examining the intersections of these variables on anxiety and depressive outcomes for this population. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between ethnic identity development, attachment to parents, family prosocial opportunities, and anxiety and depressive symptoms in a sample of BIPOC adolescents (N = 1424) in the Northeastern United States. Attachment to father (B =  - 0.14, p < 0.01), family prosocial opportunities (B =  - 0.51, p < 0.001), and ethnic identity development (B =  - 0.20, p < 0.001) emerged as significant protective factors of anxiety. Similarly, attachment to father (B =  - 0.14, p < 0.01), attachment to mother (B =  - 0.19, p < 0.05), family prosocial opportunities (B =  - 0.55, p < 0.001), and ethnic identity development (B =  - 0.14, p < 0.01) were significantly associated with decreased depressive symptoms. These findings suggest implications related to culturally responsive mental health prevention and intervention efforts for practitioners who serve BIPOC adolescents.

Within-Person Fluctuations in Ethnic-Racial Affect and Discrimination-Based Stress: Moderation by Average Ethnic-Racial Affect and Stress

INTRODUCTION

Despite evidence highlighting the dynamic nature of ethnic-racial identity (ERI) development and the common occurrence of discriminatory experiences, many studies treat these constructs as static and equivalent across individuals. Drawing upon the Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory (PVEST), this study examined the within-person covariations between ethnic-racial affect (individuals' positive feelings regarding their ethnic-racial background) and discrimination-based stress, and whether these relations were moderated by average affect and average stress.

METHOD

This study employed an intensive longitudinal design with 771 observations nested within 133 participants (Mage = 16.07, SD = 0.67), 52.3% were girls and ~93.3% were African American from Chicago, Illinois.

RESULTS

Results from the multilevel model analysis revealed that within-person fluctuations in ethnic-racial affect were predicted by discrimination-based stress and that these fluctuations were person-specific. Furthermore, findings from this study also showed that the within-person fluctuations in ethnic-racial affect in relation to stress from discrimination were weaker for those with higher average affect and stronger for those with higher average stress.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the dynamic and situational nature of developmental processes by emphasizing the within-person fluctuations and person-specificity. These findings highlight the importance of developing and delivering interventions and programs that promote positive ethnic-racial affect to mitigate the negative impact of discrimination. These initiatives should be offered consistently and tailored to address individuals' specific needs to maximize their effectiveness.

Religious development from adolescence to early adulthood among Muslim and Christian youth in Germany: A person-oriented approach

Religious decline, often observed among North American Christian youth, may not apply universally. We examined this and whether religiosity is associated with well-being, risk behavior, cultural values, and acculturation among 4080 Muslim and Christian adolescents aged 15-22 in Germany. Utilizing seven waves from the CILS4EU project and a person-oriented analytical approach, we identified different religious trajectories for Muslim (58% high, 31% low, 11% increasing), immigrant-origin Christian (68% low, 32% medium), and non-immigrant Christian (74% low, 17% decreasing, 9% medium) youth. High and medium trajectories were associated with greater well-being, lower risk behavior, more conservative attitudes, and less sociocultural integration. To fully understand religious development, we must consider diverse national contexts and groups, employing long-term perspectives and person-centered analyses.

Racial Socialization in the United States

Our review, situated within the context of the United States, explores how societal forces shape youths' racial socialization processes. Specifically, we explore how youths learn beliefs about race through interactions with their environment, how these processes affect youths' engagement with race in multiple contexts, and how they contribute to the perpetuation and dismantling of racial inequality. First, we discuss key psychological theories that inform our understanding of racial socialization. Second, we discuss how families, peers, media, and environmental cues shape racial socialization processes. Finally, we discuss interventions to enhance racial socialization and offer directions for future psychological research to advance our understanding of both racial and broader socialization processes in the United States and internationally.

Early adolescents' ethnic-racial identity in relation to longitudinal growth in perspective taking

Adolescents experience significant growth in social cognition, including perspective taking and identity formation. Due to the salience of race and ethnicity in the United States, adolescents' ethnic-racial identity (ERI) may have important implications for their sociocognitive development. The present study tested the association between ERI in early adolescence and subsequent longitudinal growth in perspective taking. Participants included 560 adolescents assessed annually over 4 years, beginning in sixth and seventh grade. Adolescents were from a small, rural community in the southeast United States and were from diverse ethnic-racial backgrounds (primarily Latine, Black/African American, and multiracial). Using linear growth curve modeling, we examined whether initial ERI predicted intercepts and slopes of longitudinal growth in perspective taking across adolescence. Results showed that the development of perspective taking differed based on initial ERI. Perspective taking increased significantly for youth with low and average levels of ERI but remained high and stable for youth at high levels of ERI. This study offers important evidence that Latine, Black, and multiracial youth who explore and find more clarity in their sense of ERI earlier in adolescence also show higher initial levels of perspective taking, which remains high across adolescence. Over time, most youth grow in perspective taking and eventually reach similar levels, but youth high in ERI reach these higher levels earlier than their peers, who had less sense of clarity about their ERI early in adolescence. This is one of the first known studies to directly test the association between ERI and perspective taking, utilizing a diverse, longitudinal sample of adolescents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Perceptions, Attitudes, and Experiences Regarding Mental Health Care Among Young Black Men

Mental health service research has insufficiently examined young Black men's (YBM; ages 18-25) mental health care consumption patterns, obscuring their unmet mental health needs. Concurrently, the literature indicates YBM face unmet service needs that impede their ability to address numerous negative social determinants of health (e.g., high adverse childhood experiences, low socioeconomic status, etc.). Because preventing or treating mental health issues at or near onset can dramatically improve outcomes, this study utilizes thematic analysis to elucidate the factors most consequential to YBM's experiences as mental health service consumers. Eight YBM (Mage = 21.1 years) were purposively recruited to participate in semi-structured interviews to discuss attitudes regarding mental health care and cultural attitudes, gender-based attitudes, structural racism, and transition to adulthood. Of the eight participants, five had active health insurance, six had received mental health services before age 18 years, and three were currently receiving mental health services. Participants were attuned to their mental health needs and rejected stigmatizing attitudes about mental illness. Most participants reported hesitation about taking psychiatric medications. Participants had limited resources and encountered structural barriers to accessing mental health services. Most participants did not perceive racism as a source of mental distress. Culturally informed, consumer-oriented research is critical to tailoring and strengthening YBM's mental health care. Future research should employ a population health approach to promote YBM's mental health service uptake in adulthood.

A comparative study of Venezuelan immigrants' pre- and post-migration concerns for their children in the United States and Colombia

Research suggests that forced migration may lead to cultural stress and psychological distress. However, little is known about immigrant parents' pre- and post-migration concerns for their children's welfare. The present study examined the concerns of Venezuelan parents who migrated to the United States versus those who migrated to Colombia, and whether post-migration concerns were related to cultural stressors, mental health, and cultural identity. A sample of 609 Venezuelan immigrants completed surveys and responded to an open-ended prompt asking about pre- and post-migration concerns for children's welfare. Lack of safety was the most common pre-migration concern for Venezuelans in the U.S., whereas lack of food was the most common pre-migration concern for Venezuelans in Colombia. More years in the destination country since arrival were linked to heightened economic concerns and reduced worries about family separation. A positive link emerged between national identity and health-related concerns for children following migration. This knowledge can inform policies and programs to better support immigrant families as they navigate the challenges of forced migration.

Emotional Health of Immigrant Adolescents by a Cross-Lagged Panel Network Analysis: Self-Esteem and Depression

Background/Objectives: The study investigated the dynamic interrelations of both positive and negative self-esteem with depression among immigrant adolescents. Methods: Longitudinal data from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (CILS) were analyzed using a Cross-Lagged Panel Network (CLPN) model. Results: The results showed strong autoregressive effects; both the positive and negative dimensions of self-esteem and symptoms of depression were fairly stable across the two measurement times. Cross-lagged effects indicated that higher levels of positive self-esteem predicted reduced depressive symptoms; for example, higher self-worth at Time 1 was associated with a lower lack of motivation at Time 2. However, some components, for instance, positive self-attitude, predicted in greater sadness from Time 1 to Time 2. On the other hand, certain dimensions of negative self-esteem, such as feeling useless at Time 1, were related to decreases in depressive symptoms at Time 2, which points to complex and bidirectional effects that challenge traditional hypotheses on how self-esteem may affect mental health. Conclusions: The current study teases apart sub-components of self-esteem and, in doing so, demonstrates how different facets uniquely predict depression over time and inform nuanced mental health trajectories among immigrant youth. The findings indicate that selective self-esteem interventions should be carried out to enhance resilience and mental well-being in adolescents from diverse backgrounds.

Toward characterization of perceptual specialization for faces in Multiracial contexts

This conceptual analysis focuses on opportunities to advance research and current hypotheses of perceptual development by examining what is presently known and unknown about perceptual specialization in a Multiracial context during the first year of life. The impact of being raised in a Multiracial family or community is discussed to further characterize the development of perceptual expertise for faces and languages. Historical and present-day challenges faced by researchers in defining what race is, identifying Multiracial individuals or contexts, and how to study perceptual and cognitive processes in this population are discussed. We propose to leverage current data from developmental Multilingual populations as a guide for future research questions and hypotheses characterizing perceptual specialization based on face race for Multiracial/Multiethnic individuals and contexts. Variability of input and the pattern of specialization are two factors identified from the developmental Multilingual literature that are likely useful for studying Multiracial contexts and development. Several methodological considerations are proposed in hopes of facilitating research questions and practices that are reflective of and informed by the diversity of experiences and social complexities within Multiracial populations.

Using structural topic modeling to understand ethnicity-related narratives

OBJECTIVE

Narrative identity is a promising approach for understanding the content of individuals' ethnic identities but can be limited by the time-intensive nature of human coding and the reliance on preestablished coding systems.

BACKGROUND

The aim of our preregistered study is to elucidate the content of individuals' ethnicity-related experiences using a novel statistical approach.

METHOD

We applied structural topic modeling (STM), a natural language processing tool, to narratives written by an ethnically diverse sample of 1149 young adults about a moment they felt aware of their ethnicity.

RESULTS

We identified 14 topics within ethnicity narratives and analyzed how each topic related to both the participant's ethnicity and the human-coded themes of agency and communion. For example, the topic Gained perspective of structural inequality was associated with greater agency, whereas Peer dynamics was associated with greater communion. Ethnic/cultural celebration was associated with both.

CONCLUSIONS

This study introduces STM as a useful tool for extracting topic content in narrative data and demonstrates how the multi-method assessment of ethnicity narratives provides greater insight into the content of ethnic experiences. These findings contribute to our understanding of contextualized aspects of personality, including the innovative ways we might examine them.

Is there a mental health wake following the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescents in a male juvenile prison?

Lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic loom large in the United States but are particularly of concern in prison settings. In the current study, we examine the ongoing mental health consequences of the pandemic among young people incarcerated in a male juvenile prison. Sequential mixed methods data were obtained-78 young people assigned male at birth completed surveys and 19 completed individual interviews. Seven staff were also interviewed about youth experiences during and following the pandemic. Youth survey results indicated racial and ethnic identity exploration, feeling less safe at night, and experiencing staff harassment were significantly associated with some negative mental health concerns, yet lingering COVID-19 policies were not. Triangulation with interviews underscored these findings by highlighting more specific concerns related to COVID-19, such as social isolation, loneliness, and concerns about the indirect effects the pandemic might have on court outcomes and educational goals. Overall, results of the current analysis provide evidence that incarceration continues to be traumatizing and harmful to youth mental health even following the pandemic. To a lesser extent, these results also imply that lingering effects of the pandemic and concurrent cultural and racial tensions have delayed impacts on the mental health of incarcerated youth during this tumultuous time. Taken together, study findings suggests juvenile prisons must implement readiness plans to mitigate these and other harmful effects of juvenile incarceration in the future.

Ethnic Identity and Mechanisms of Mental Health Service Engagement Among Young Adults with Serious Mental Illnesses

PURPOSE

Young adults from minoritized racial and ethnic groups have lower rates of engagement in treatment for serious mental illnesses (SMI). Previous research suggests a relationship between ethnic identity development and engagement in mental health services, but it remains unclear how a sense of belonging and attachment to one's racial and ethnic group influences participation in treatment among young adults with SMI.

METHODS

Bivariate analyses and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used to examine whether ethnic identity was associated with treatment engagement (attendance and investment in treatment) and how ethnic identity might influence engagement through theoretical proximal mediators. Eighty-three young adults with SMI (95% from minoritized racial and ethnic groups) were recruited from four outpatient psychiatric rehabilitation programs and assessed at least 3 months after initiating services.

RESULTS

Stronger ethnic identity was associated with greater investment in treatment but not with treatment attendance. The SEM analysis indicated that stronger ethnic identity may improve investment in treatment by enhancing hope (0.53, p < .05) and beliefs that mental health providers are credible (0.32, p < .05), and by increasing self-efficacy (-0.09, p < .05). Proximal mediators of engagement were associated with investment in treatment (hope and credibility, p < .05, and self-efficacy p = 0.055).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings provide preliminary evidence of an empirical and theoretical relationship between ethnic identity development and engagement in treatment among young adults with SMI. Assessment and strengthening of a young person's ethnic identity may be a promising approach for improving their engagement in services and reducing inequities in their care.

Positioning adolescence in the developmental timeline

Adolescence, the second decade of life, bridges childhood and adulthood, but also represents a host of unique experiences that impact health and well-being. Lifespan theories often emphasize the continuity of individual characteristics and their contexts from childhood to adolescence, underscoring the distal influence of childhood experiences. Yet, adolescence is marked by transitions that may provoke discontinuities, particularly within individuals, their contexts, and their interactions within those contexts. These discontinuities occur at varied times, orders, and intensities for individual youth, suggesting that adolescence may be a developmental turning point where earlier life experiences may be mediated, reversed, or transformed by proximal events. This perspective piece emphasizes the importance of considering transitions, discontinuities, and developmental turning points in adolescence as well as their potential to explain heterogeneity in adolescent and adult outcomes. We explore one biological and one contextual transition in adolescence and highlight innovative theories and methods for investigating continuity and discontinuity dynamics across development, which could lead to new insights related to the adolescent period and its importance in shaping future life trajectories.

Different contexts - different stories: Adolescents' experiences of how ethnicity is addressed in schools and sports and on social media in Sweden

Ethnicity plays a significant role in adolescents' everyday lives, but there is a limited understanding of adolescents' own experiences with how ethnicity is addressed in different contexts. Three contexts of importance during adolescence are investigated in the present study: schools, social media, and sports. A closer contextual examination has the potential to provide insights into how multiple contexts shape experiences with ethnicity. The aim of the study was to understand more about adolescents' experiences of how ethnicity is addressed in schools, on social media, and in sports. Six focus groups with a total of 21 adolescents (Mage = 14.5, SDage = 0.5, female = 76%) discussed their experiences. Data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using a close-to-data, inductive thematic analysis. The analysis resulted in three main themes and seven subthemes, indicating that ethnicity was addressed differently in the three studied contexts. For the main theme of how ethnicity was addressed in schools, the subthemes were: Addressing ethnicity is important; Ethnicity is addressed through stereotypes and Everyday racism. The main theme of ethnicity on social media consisted of two subthemes: Sharing ethnic and cultural narratives and Hateful remarks. The main theme of ethnicity in sports also consisted of two subthemes: On equal terms and Clear consequences for racist behaviors. To better understand the multiple contexts, the results are discussed guided by the ecological systems theory. The adolescents highlighted that there are many benefits of addressing ethnicity and that it is important to do so in multiple contexts of adolescent life, just not in the same way. When ethnicity was addressed carelessly, such as through stereotypes or via racism masked as jokes, it had the potential to cause harm. When ethnicity was addressed with reflection, it instead had the potential to build understanding, lead to positive experiences, and provide learning opportunities.

Ethnic-racial discrimination and socialization: Short-term longitudinal effects on Black and Latinx young adults' ethnic-racial identity

Short-term longitudinal data were used to examine how racial discrimination, cultural socialization (CS), and preparation for bias (PB) related to Black and Latinx young adults' public and private regard. Black (n = 90) and Latinx (n = 54) young adults (Mage = 20 years) were assessed at two time points, 6 weeks apart. Racial discrimination predicted lower levels of public regard 6 week later; whereas PB predicted greater levels of private regard. CS moderated the relations between racial discrimination and private regard suggesting that at low levels of CS, discrimination related to lower private regard 6 weeks later. Findings demonstrate the short-term effects of racial discrimination and suggest that ethnic-racial socialization is a salient cultural resource for young adults.

National Identity Development Among Minority Youth: Longitudinal Relations with National Fit Perceptions and School Belonging

Across Western Europe, immigrant-origin minority youth often struggle to belong socially and to develop national self-identification. Yet, almost no research to-date has asked how these youth perceive the cultural contents of the national identity in their residence country-or rather, to what extent they perceive youth like them to (mis)fit the national identity. The present study addressed this research gap by centering schools as developmental contexts of evolving belonging and national self-identification and newly inquiring into minority youth's perceptions of national (mis)fit as critical levers of their national identity development. Drawing on data from two annual waves of the Leuven-Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (Leuven-CILS), a sample of 942 Moroccan- and Turkish-origin youth (Mage-T1 = 14.98, SD = 1.22; 52% female) in 62 Belgian schools was used. Cross-lagged analysis combined repeated measures of school belonging and national self-identification with vignette measures of the perceived national fit of (imagined) culturally different peers. While school belonging and national self-identification were unrelated over time, earlier perceived national fit uniquely enabled more national self-identification one year later, over and above evolving school belonging. These findings suggest that experiencing belonging in school does not suffice for minority youth to develop national self-identification. Schools may, however, promote national identity development through redefining national identities to include cultural diversity-thereby signaling to minority youth that they can fit the national identity.

Diverse Face Images (DFI): Validated for racial representation and eye gaze

Face processing is a central component of human communication and social engagement. The present investigation introduces a set of racially and ethnically inclusive faces created for researchers interested in perceptual and socio-cognitive processes linked to human faces. The Diverse Face Images (DFI) stimulus set includes high-quality still images of female faces that are racially and ethnically representative, include multiple images of direct and indirect gaze for each model and control for low-level perceptual variance between images. The DFI stimuli will support researchers interested in studying face processing throughout the lifespan as well as other questions that require a diversity of faces or gazes. This report includes a detailed description of stimuli development and norming data for each model. Adults completed a questionnaire rating each image in the DFI stimuli set on three major qualities relevant to face processing: (1) strength of race/ethnicity group associations, (2) strength of eye gaze orientation, and (3) strength of emotion expression. These validation data highlight the presence of rater variability within and between individual model images as well as within and between race and ethnicity groups.

Coping with ethnic-racial discrimination: Protective-reactive effects of shift-and-persist coping on internalizing symptoms among Black American adolescents

Ethnic-racial discrimination has pervasive negative effects on Black youth's mental health; therefore, it is crucial to identify factors that provide resilience against discrimination. Two promising factors to help youth cope are ethnic-racial identity (how one feels about their ethnicity/race) and shift-and-persist coping (reappraising and accepting an uncontrollable stressor while remaining optimistic about the future). While there is existing scholarship on ethnic-racial identity among Black youth, this work has not yet assessed the impacts of shift-and-persist in this population. Using a sample of 155 Black youth (ages 13-17), the current study examined the interplay between discrimination, ethnic-racial identity, shift-and-persist coping, and internalizing symptoms. Symptoms of depression and anxiety were positively associated with discrimination and negatively associated with shift-and-persist. Significant interactions between discrimination and shift-and-persist predicting both depressive and anxiety symptoms revealed significant negative associations between shift-and-persist and internalizing symptoms at low and average, but not high discrimination levels. Effects are, thus, protective-reactive; the protective effects of shift-and-persist are not significant for youth facing high levels of discrimination. Ethnic-racial identity, surprisingly, was not significantly associated with either depressive or anxiety symptoms, nor did it interact with shift-and-persist as it has in studies of Latinx youth. By understanding the protective benefits of shift-and-persist and ethnic-racial identity in Black youth, during a pivotal period for mental health, we can provide this growing population with tools to lessen the maladaptive outcomes associated with discrimination.

Differential item functioning of the revised Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM-R) in racially and income diverse youth with type 1 diabetes

OBJECTIVE

Racially minoritized youth with T1D are made vulnerable to disproportionately adverse health outcomes compared to White peers due to enduring systems of oppression. Thus, understanding modifiable psychosocial factors associated with diabetes-related outcomes in racially minoritized youth may help to buffer deleterious effects of racism. One factor meriting exploration is racial-ethnic identity. There is currently limited research on measures fit to assess ethnic identity in youth with chronic illnesses. This study's purpose is to examine the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the revised Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM-R) in a racially- and income-diverse sample of youth with T1D across sociodemographic and illness-related proxies for one's positionality in oppressive systems.

METHOD

As part of a larger study examining resilience, 142 youth with T1D ages 12-18 (Mage = 14.66, SDage = 1.62, 55.6% Black/African-American, 44.4% White) completed the MEIM-R and various psychosocial measures. HbA1c levels and illness duration were extracted from medical records and caregivers reported income information. Confirmatory factor analyses compared the structural validity of competing MEIM-R models, and uniform and non-uniform differential item functioning (DIF) was explored across sociodemographic and illness-related factors.

RESULTS

While a bifactor structure was supported, the MEIM-R was found to exhibit DIF by race and gender on multiple MEIM-R items and did not demonstrate linear bivariate relations with other psychosocial factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Since different MEIM-R item response patterns were observed across racial/ethnic and gender groups, caution is warranted in using this measure in racially and gender diverse youth with T1D.

Teachers' Implementation of the Identity Project Is Associated With Increases in U.S. High School Students' Ethnic-Racial Identity Exploration

Ethnic-racial identity formation has significant consequences for positive youth development. Existing findings support the efficacy of the Identity Project, a school-based ethnic-racial identity intervention, when delivered by researchers; however, effectiveness of the program when delivered by teachers is unknown. This study examined changes in adolescents' (N = 180; 42.2% male, 50.6% female, 6.7% another gender identity; Mage = 14.11, SD = 0.33; 38.3% Latinx, 33.9% White, 15.0% Black, 9.4% Asian American, 3.3% another ethnoracial background) ethnic-racial identity exploration as a function of their teachers' implementation of the Identity Project. Findings indicated that ethnic-racial identity exploration significantly increased from pretest to posttest, and this did not vary based on familial ethnic-racial socialization, student-teacher ethnoracial match/mismatch, gender, immigrant status, or ethnoracial background. This study provides preliminary evidence that U.S. educators can be trained to efficaciously implement the Identity Project with high school students and, furthermore, that this approach to program dissemination may not only facilitate scale-up but also result in greater gains for adolescents relative to research-led implementations.

Intergenerational Storytelling and Positive Psychosocial Development: Stories as Developmental Resources for Marginalized Groups

ACADEMIC ABSTRACT

We articulate an intergenerational model of positive psychosocial development that centers storytelling in an ecological framework and is motivated by an orientation toward social justice. We bring together diverse literature (e.g., racial-ethnic socialization, family storytelling, narrative psychology) to argue that the intergenerational transmission of stories about one's group is equally important for elders and youth, and especially important for groups who are marginalized, because stories provide a developmental resource for resistance and resilience in the face of injustice. We describe how storytelling activities can support positive psychosocial development in culturally dynamic contexts and illustrate our model with a case study involving LGBTQ+ communities, arguing that intergenerational storytelling is uniquely important for this group given issues of access to stories. We argue that harnessing the power of intergenerational storytelling could provide a culturally safe and sustaining practice for fostering psychosocial development among LGBTQ+ people and other equity-seeking populations.

PUBLIC ABSTRACT

Understanding one's identity as part of a group with shared history and culture that has existed through time is important for positive psychological functioning. This is especially true for marginalized communities for whom identity-relevant knowledge is often erased, silenced, or distorted in mainstream public discourses (e.g., school curricula, news media, television, and film). To compensate for these limitations around access, one channel for the transmission of this knowledge is through oral storytelling between generations of elders and youth. Contemporary psychological science has often assumed that such storytelling occurs within families, but when families cannot or would not share such knowledge, youth suffer. We present a model of intergenerational storytelling that expands our ideas around who counts as "family" and how knowledge can be transmitted through alternative channels, using LGBTQ+ communities as a case example.

Friendship Network and School Socialization Correlates of Adolescent Ethnic-Racial Identity Development

Ethnic-racial identity (ERI) development is consequential for youth adjustment and includes exploration, resolution, and affect about the meaning of one's ethnic-racial group membership. Little is known about how identity-relevant experiences, such as ethnic-racial socialization and discrimination in peer relationships and school contexts, catalyze adolescent ERI development. The present study examines how identity-relevant experiences in friend and school contexts (i.e., proportion of same-ethnoracial friends, cultural socialization among friends, friends' ERI dimensions, friends' experiences of ethnoracial discrimination, and school promotion of cultural competence and critical consciousness) are associated with ERI development. A multivariate path model with a sample from four southwestern U.S. schools (N = 717; 50.5% girls; Mage = 13.76; 32% Latinx, 31.5% Multiethnic, 25.7% White, 11% other) was used to test these associations. Findings showed that friend and school predictors of ERI did not differ between early and middle adolescents, but significant differences and similarities emerged in some of these associations between ethnoracially minoritized and White youth. Specifically, friend cultural socialization was positively associated with ERI exploration for ethnoracially minoritized youth only, whereas school critical consciousness socialization was positively linked with ERI exploration only for White youth. Friend cultural socialization and friend network's levels of ERI resolution were positively associated with ERI resolution across both ethnoracial groups. These friend and school socialization associations were documented above and beyond significant contributions of personal ethnoracial discrimination to ERI exploration and negative affect for both ethnoracially minoritized and White youth. These findings expand our understanding of how friend and school socialization mechanisms are associated with adolescent ERI development, which is vital to advancing developmental theory and fostering developmental competences for youth to navigate their multicultural yet socially stratified and inequitable world.

Psychological and Academic Adaptation Through Universal Ethnic Studies Classes: Results of a Natural Experiment

Schools in the United States are increasingly offering ethnic studies classes, which focus on exploring students' ethnic-racial identities (ERI) and critical analysis of systemic racism, to their diverse student bodies, yet scant research exists on their effectiveness for students of different ethnic-racial backgrounds in multiracial classrooms. A policy change to require all high school students in one school district to take an ethnic studies class facilitated a natural experiment for comparing the effects of quasi-random assignment to an ethnic studies class (treatment) relative to a traditional social studies class (control; e.g., U.S. Government, Human Geography). Student surveys and school administrative data were used to compare students' ERI development, well-being, and academic outcomes across ethnic studies and control classes. Participants (N = 535 9th graders; 66.1% ethnic studies) had diverse ethnic-racial (33.5% non-Latine White, 29.5% Black, 21.1% Latine, 10.7% biracial, 2.8% Asian, 2.2% Native American) and gender identities (44.7% female, 7.1% non-binary). Ethnic studies students reported marginally higher ERI exploration and resolution than controls, and sensitivity analyses showed a statistically significant effect on ERI among participants with complete midpoint surveys. Higher resolution was associated with better psychological well-being for all students and higher attendance for White students. Students with low middle school grades (GPA < 2.0) had better high school grades in core subjects when enrolled in ethnic studies than the control class. Overall, the results of this natural experiment provide preliminary support for ethnic studies classes as a method for promoting ERI development, well-being, attendance, and academic achievement for students from diverse ethnic-racial backgrounds.

Longitudinal Profiles of Cultural Identity Processes and Associations with Psychosocial Outcomes Among Adolescents Participating in the Identity Project in Italy

Cultural identity formation is a complex developmental task that influences adolescents' adjustment. However, less is known about individual variations in trajectories of cultural identity processes and how they relate to youth psychosocial outcomes. Using a person-centered approach, this study investigated patterns of change over a year in cultural identity exploration and resolution, respectively, among ethnically diverse adolescents in Italy. The sample included 173 high school students (Mage = 15 yrs, SD = 0.62, range = 14-17; 58.4% female; 26% immigrant background) who had participated in the Identity Project, a school-based intervention targeting ethnic-racial identity development. Longitudinal latent profile analysis revealed only one profile of change for exploration, whereas four unique profiles for resolution emerged ("stable low," "stable average," "increase low-to-average," "increase high-to-higher"). Overall, youth in the resolution-increase profiles reported the best outcomes. The findings highlight the heterogeneity of adolescents' resolution trajectories and the benefits of an increased sense of clarity concerning one's cultural identity for positive psychosocial functioning.

Early adolescents' ethnic-racial discrimination and pubertal development: Parents' ethnic-racial identities promote adolescents' resilience

Ethnically and racially underrepresented adolescents are experiencing pubertal development earlier in life than prior cohorts and their White American peers. This early onset of puberty is partly attributable to ethnic-racial discrimination. To contribute to adolescents' resilience and posttraumatic growth in the face of ethnic-racial discrimination, parents' ethnic-racial identities may spill over into their parenting beliefs and practices. Parents who have a sense of belonging with and commitment to their ethnic-racial identities may be aware of discrimination and actively and consistently engage in practices that build supportive home environments to support their children's development in the context of ethnic-racial discrimination. To assess whether parents' ethnic-racial identity commitment predicted adolescents' resilience against ethnic-racial discrimination, we used multiple waves of survey data from adolescent siblings and their parents participating in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study (N-adolescents = 1,651; N-families = 805; 35% Black, 37% Latinx, 3% Asian, 25% other ethnically and racially underrepresented youth; 49% boys, 50% girls, 1% gender nonconforming youth; Mage = 11.49, SD = 0.51). Results indicated that adolescents who experienced more frequent ethnic-racial discrimination than their siblings showed more advanced pubertal development. Parental ethnic-racial identity commitment reduced the relation between discrimination and pubertal development within a family. Results suggest that ethnic-racial identity commitment in parents can protect children when they experience ethnic-racial discrimination. Building on extant propositions related to resilience (Infurna & Luthar, 2018), the present study amplifies the depiction of resilience, yields recommendations for analysis of future research, and provides implications regarding the role of ethnicity-race in familial practices. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Evaluating a School-Based Intervention on Adolescents' Ethnic-racial Identity in Sweden

Finding developmentally appropriate ways to support youth in understanding their own ethnic-racial identity is needed, particularly in contexts like Sweden where such support is not the norm. This preregistered longitudinal study examined whether an 8-week school-based intervention, the Identity Project, impacted youth ethnic-racial identity exploration (participation and search), resolution, private regard, and centrality. Participants were 509 adolescents in the 10th grade (Mage = 16.28, SD = 0.80; 65% self-identified girls; 52% minoritized ethnic background), who were randomized into an intervention or wait-list control group and assessed at baseline and three times post-intervention. The findings indicated an initial and simultaneous effect of the intervention only for exploration participation and resolution but did not show the expected chain of effects with earlier exploration predicting later resolution. Growth models indicated a greater increase in exploration participation over time for the intervention group than the control group. The findings indicate a mixed picture about the effectiveness of the intervention, with effects primarily narrowly targeted to exploration participation, but nevertheless highlight the potential for supporting Swedish youth in engaging with their ethnic-racial identities.

Longitudinal Associations Between Friendship Ethnic/Racial Composition and Ethnic/Racial Identity: The Role of School Ethnic/Racial Diversity

Schools and friendships represent important but distinct contexts for adolescent identity development. However, research has yet to explore the long-term interplay between these factors on ethnic/racial identity (ERI). This study included a sample of 640 adolescents from 9 public high schools in a diverse United States metropolis (Mage = 14.50, SD = 0.67; 44% Asian, 20% Black, 36% Latinx; female = 68%, male = 32%, non-binary = 0%). Latent growth curve modeling was conducted to investigate longitudinal associations in friendship ethnic/racial composition and ERI exploration. From the 9th-11th grades, same-race friends and ERI exploration increased linearly whereas friendship ethnic/racial diversity decreased linearly. Adolescents attending more ethnically/racially diverse schools maintained more ethnically/racially diverse friends over time but did not differ in changes in ERI exploration compared to adolescents in less diverse schools. There was no association between the rates at which adolescents' friendship ethnic/racial composition and ERI changed over time. More ethnically/racially diverse friends in the 9th-grade predicted faster increases in subsequent ERI exploration. The findings highlight important differences in the roles of friendship and school contexts on ERI, suggesting that friendship ethnic/racial diversity, but not school ethnic/racial diversity, facilitated ERI exploration over time. School ethnic/racial diversity did facilitate a slower decline in friendship ethnic/racial diversity, emphasizing the importance of school integration.

The influence of ethnic-racial identity and discrimination on mental health treatment attitudes among college students

Objective: While understanding racial/ethnic disparities in mental health services use is a growing priority in colleges and universities, little is known the attitudes that may contribute to these disparities. Methods: This study investigates the relationship between clinic diversity, ethnic-racial identity, discrimination, and treatment attitudes. College students n = 250 (Asian 21%, Black 11%, Latinx 23%, and White 45%) participated in an online experimental task rating hypothetical clinic websites that varied by clinician diversity and completed a series of self-report questionnaires. Results: Clinician diversity did not influence treatment attitudes, but discrimination and ethnic-racial identity were significantly related to treatment attitudes. Additionally, the relationship between public regard and treatment attitudes was moderated by race/ethnicity. Conclusions: By focusing on treatment attitudes rather than behaviors, this study addresses potential areas of intervention to address racial/ethnic disparities in college mental health.

Adolescent Cultural Identity Development in Context: The Dynamic Interplay of the Identity Project With Classroom Cultural Diversity Climate in Italy and Germany

While both the classroom cultural diversity climate and curriculum-based interventions can promote cultural identity development, they have not been studied together. Drawing on theories of ethnic-racial identity development, the current study aimed to understand the dynamic interplay of a curriculum-based intervention (the Identity Project) with the classroom cultural diversity climate (heritage culture and intercultural learning, critical consciousness socialization and equal treatment) on cultural identity exploration and resolution. Our sample included 906 mid-adolescents in Italy (32.36% immigrant descent, Mage (SD) = 15.12 (0.68) years, 51.73% female), and 504 early adolescents in Germany (53.86% immigrant descent, Mage (SD) = 12.82 (0.89) years, 42.37% female). Bayesian multivariate linear models show that the Identity Project and a stronger critical consciousness climate in the classroom before the intervention promoted cultural identity exploration at post-test in both countries. However, effects of the intervention and facets of the diversity climate on subsequent resolution were only observed in Italy. There was some evidence that the intervention could alter the classroom cultural diversity climate in Germany, while the intervention could compensate for a less positive diversity climate in the slightly older sample in Italy. Thus, it seems promising to systematically build in opportunities to engage with students' diverse heritage cultures and identities when developing new curricula, as well as to train teachers to implement such curricula.

Promoting Adolescents' Heritage Cultural Identity Development: Exploring the Role of Autonomy and Relatedness Satisfaction in School-Based Interventions

Given the significance of heritage cultural identity for optimal adolescent development, it is imperative to investigate factors influencing the efficacy of interventions aimed at promoting heritage cultural identity. Using latent profile cluster analysis and multinomial logistic regressions, this longitudinal study examined how autonomy and relatedness need satisfaction at school (1) related to heritage cultural identity development trajectories, and (2) moderated effects of a school-based intervention. The study included N = 198 adolescents (Mage = 12.86 years, SDage = 0.75, 52% female, 41% immigrant descent, 49% intervention group) in Germany. Teacher-student relationships played an important role in facilitating intervention effects on identity development trajectories, emphasizing the importance of the relational context when implementing school-based interventions to promote heritage cultural identity development.

A Mixed Methods Study of Ethnic Identity and Mental Health Recovery Processes in Minoritized Young Adults

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Ethnic identity development is associated with positive mental health in young adults from ethnic minority groups. How a sense of belonging and attachment to one's ethnic culture is related to personal mental health recovery remains unexplained. This study examines the experiences of ethnic minority young adults in the U.S. to understand the aspects of culture and identity development that are relevant to their recovery processes.

METHODS

Young adults who were living with chronic mental disorders were recruited from four rehabilitation programs. Interviews produced quantitative and qualitative data. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was used to integrate the qualitative findings from a sub-group of young adults (n = 44) with the results from the quantitative study. Directed content analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data, and the integrated data were analyzed in joint displays.

RESULTS

The prominent themes characterizing ethnic identity development in personal recovery were (a) cultural history, traditions, and values; (b) mental illness stigma within the ethnic community; and (c) bias and discrimination in mental health services. Young adults with high ethnic identity development reported having more support from family, but they also described experiences with stigma and racism.

CONCLUSIONS

The integrated results suggest that ethnic identity development promotes mental health recovery in minoritized young adults through social support and improved well-being and resilience. Experiences of intersectional stigma and structural racism associated with ethnic identity can interfere with self-determination and access to care among minoritized Hispanic/Latine, Black, and multiracial young adults in the U.S.

School belonging mediates the longitudinal effects of racial/ethnic identity on academic achievement and emotional well-being among Black and Latinx adolescents

Social Identity Theory proposes that a positive in-group social identification fosters students' academic motivation and psychological well-being. The present study, grounded in Social Identity Theory, investigated the roles of racial/ethnicity identity (REI) in the development of school adjustment among Black and Latinx youth as well as the psychological mechanisms underlying these longitudinal associations. We hypothesized that REI would positively predict the development of academic achievement and emotional symptoms. In addition, we hypothesized that the development of school belonging would mediate the predictive effects of REI on the growth of academic achievement and emotional symptoms. Participants were 475 (n = 182 Black, 48.9% female; 293 Latinx, 47.8% female) students in Grades 7-9. Students self-reported their REI, school belonging, and emotional symptoms. Academic achievement was assessed using standardized achievement test scores. The longitudinal mediation models indicated that REI indirectly predicted the development of academic achievement and emotional symptoms through students' sense of school belonging. Specifically, higher REI embedded achievement and lower REI awareness of racism predicted higher school belonging in Grade 7. Higher Grade 7 school belonging in turn predicted faster academic growth in Grade 7 to Grade 9 as well as lower emotional symptoms in Grade 7. In addition, the three dimensions of REI also directly predicted the growth of academic achievement and emotional symptoms in Grades 7-9. The mediated effects were smaller in size than the direct effects. These findings highlight the importance of fostering positive REI and a strong sense of school belonging in promoting school adjustment among racial/ethnic minoritized, academically at-risk youth.

Daily agreeableness and acculturation processes in ethnic/racial minority freshmen: The role of inter-ethnic contact and perceived discrimination

OBJECTIVES

Having higher levels of mainstream cultural orientation (MCO), an important component of acculturation attitudes and behaviors, is beneficial for ethnic/racial minority students during the transitions into university. Scant research has investigated MCO at a micro daily timescale. This study examined how personality (agreeableness) functions in conjunction with interpersonal processes (inter-ethnic contact and perceived discrimination) to influence MCO as daily within-person processes.

METHODS

Multi-level structural equation modeling were used to analyze month-long daily diary data from 209 ethnic/racial minority freshmen (69% female).

RESULTS

There was a positive indirect association between agreeableness and MCO through inter-ethnic contact at both within- and between-person levels. At the within-person level, on days with lower (vs. higher) levels of ethnic/racial discrimination, higher levels of agreeableness were associated with higher levels of MCO.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings highlight the contributions of intensive longitudinal data in elucidating ethnic/racial minority students' personality and acculturation processes in daily life involving protective and risk factors on micro timescales.

The Influence of Contested Racial Identity and Perceived Everyday Discrimination Exposure on Body Mass Index in US Adults

Contested racial identity-the discrepancy between one's self-identified race and socially assigned race-is a social determinant of health and may contribute to overweight and obesity. Obesity is associated with a host of short- and long-term health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of death. Individuals racialized as Black, Hispanic, and Latino are at the greatest risk of obesity. Previous research indicates that experiencing interpersonal discrimination is associated with higher body mass index (BMI) in adults, and individuals with a contested racial identity are disproportionately exposed to interpersonal discrimination. However, the association between BMI and contested racial identity is unknown. This cross-sectional study measured the relationship between contested racial identity and perceived everyday discrimination on BMI in a nationally representative sample of US adults. Contested racial identity was measured with a binary variable indicating agreement between participants' self-identified race and socially assigned race. Weighted unadjusted and adjusted multiple linear regression models quantified the associations between BMI and contested racial identity with and without the mean discrimination score. Covariates included nativity status, income, education, racial identity salience, gender, and age. Among 1689 participants, 18.3% had a contested racial identity. Contested identity was associated with significantly higher BMI (β = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.06, 1.92), but the relationship was attenuated when adjusting for interpersonal discrimination, suggesting that individuals with contested identity may face a greater risk of obesity due to their disproportionately high exposure to interpersonal racial discrimination. Further research is needed to elucidate the impact of racism on BMI and obesity risk.

Development of the Culturally Affirming and Responsive Experiences (CARE) Measure: Observing Responsiveness and Ethnic-Racial Cultural Socialization in Mother-Child Interactions

The existing literature on the importance of maternal responsiveness and the growing body of literature supporting early ethnic-racial cultural socialization highlight the need for an observational measure of how they co-occur during mother-child interactions. This study presents the development and initial validation of the Culturally Affirming and Responsive Experiences (CARE) measure, an observational measure of the presence and quality of responsiveness and ethnic-racial cultural socialization within early mother-child interactions. Pilot study results with 103 racially and ethnically diverse mother-child dyads demonstrated initial reliability and validity of the CARE measure. Implications of applying the CARE measure to early mother-child interactions to assess quality of responsiveness and ethnic-racial cultural socializations are discussed.