Citation

Jelsma E, Chen S, Varner F. J. Youth Adolesc. 2022; 51(4): 694-707.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s10964-021-01563-4

PMID

35094198

PMCID

PMC8930523

Abstract

High-effort coping (feeling like one must work harder than others to succeed due to anticipated discrimination) is an understudied concept in adolescence. The current study examined among Black American adolescents surveyed in eighth and 11th grade (N = 630, 49% female) how high-effort coping moderated the relations between teacher-perpetrated racial discrimination and psychological distress across time, and whether the buffering role of high-effort coping varied by adolescent gender and socioeconomic status. Experiencing racial discrimination from teachers in eighth grade was positively related with depressive symptoms, anger, and suicidal ideation in 11th grade. High-effort coping buffered against teacher discrimination for suicidal ideation among low socioeconomic status youth, as well as for anger among high socioeconomic status youth.

FINDINGS underscore the harmful influence of racial discrimination on Black American adolescents' mental health, as well as suggest that among certain subpopulations, high-effort coping may be one psychologically protective resource through which Black American youth retain positive feelings that are undermined by racial discrimination, and thus promote mental well-being.

Language: en

Keywords

Humans; Female; Male; Adolescent; Suicidal Ideation; Mental Health; Mental health; Racism; Adaptation, Psychological; Black American; Black or African American; High-effort coping; School-based discrimination