Racial Socialization, Racial Identity, and Internalizing Symptoms: The Underlying Role of Emotion Suppression in Black Youth

Introduction: Parental racial socialization messages that communicate the barriers and adversity faced by Black Americans have been shown to both confer and buffer against risk for internalizing symptoms in Black youth. Likewise, negative public regard—a form of racial identity which describes the extent to which a Black individual believes others view Black Americans unfavorably—is both positively and negatively associated with internalizing psychopathology. However, the affective mechanisms which underlie the differential effects of parental racial barrier socialization and negative public regard on internalizing symptoms in Black youth remain understudied. The present investigation examined direct and indirect effects of (1) parental racial socialization messages regarding racial barriers and (2) negative public regard on internalizing symptoms through emotion suppression. It was hypothesized that greater emotion suppression in Black youth would partially explain the relationship of (1) racial socialization messages regarding racial barriers, and (2) negative public regard, with internalizing symptoms. Method: Black youth (N = 100; Mage = 11. 77 years, SD = 2.64; 73% male) were recruited nationally and administered self-report measures of racial socialization, racial identity, emotion management strategies, and anxiety and depression symptoms. Results: Tests of indirect effects revealed a significant indirect effect of racial socialization messages regarding racial barriers on self-reported internalizing symptoms via emotion inhibition/suppression (b = 0.44, PM =0.24, SE = 0.23; 95% CI [0.07, 0.96]). A significant indirect effect of negative public regard on self-reported internalizing symptoms via emotion inhibition/suppression was also observed (indirect effect b = -0.55, PM =0.46, SE = 0.20; 95% CI [-0.96, -0.18]). Discussion: Black youth who report greater frequency of exposure to parental racial socialization messages regarding racial barriers or who endorse negative public regard beliefs are more likely to engage in emotion suppression. Consequently, they are more likely to report greater levels of internalizing symptoms. Future work should examine emotional and sociocultural protective factors for Black youth that buffer against racism-related stress.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology, Clinical

Grantor

University of Houston

Year dc:date.issued

2024

Author dc:creator

• Cotton, Mallory Raya

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Viana, Andres G

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Obasi, Ezemenari M
• Zvolensky, Michael J

• Clinical psychology
• Psychology, Developmental

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10657/19888

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:uh-ir.tdl.org:10657/19888