Volume 92, Issue 6 p. 2375-2394
Empirical Article

Interrupting the Pathway From Discrimination to Black Adolescents’ Psychosocial Outcomes: The Contribution of Parental Racial Worries and Racial Socialization Competency

Riana E. Anderson

Corresponding Author

Riana E. Anderson

University of Michigan

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Riana E. Anderson, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 3822 SPH I, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. Electronic mail may be sent to [email protected].

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Shawn C.T. Jones

Shawn C.T. Jones

Virginia Commonwealth University

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Farzana T. SaleemIsha Metzger

Isha Metzger

University of Georgia

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Nkemka Anyiwo

Nkemka Anyiwo

University of Pennsylvania

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Kyle Simone Nisbeth

Kyle Simone Nisbeth

University of Michigan

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Kiana D. Bess

Kiana D. Bess

University of Michigan

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Kenneth Resnicow

Kenneth Resnicow

University of Michigan

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Howard C. Stevenson

Howard C. Stevenson

University of Pennsylvania

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First published: 16 June 2021
Citations: 17

Abstract

Racial discrimination can lead to psychosocial problems for Black adolescents, including internalization (e.g., depression) and externalization (e.g., conduct problems). Black parents (N = 186; Mage = 42.9) of adolescents (ages 10–18) were assessed to investigate how parental worries and racial socialization competency (i.e., confidence, skills, and stress) contribute to the association between parental discrimination experiences and their adolescents’ psychosocial problems. Mediation analyses indicated that the total direct models with discrimination, worries, and problems had good fit, and that the addition of worry mediated the discrimination-problems association. Furthermore, racial socialization competency moderated the association between worry and problems, wherein greater competency was associated with less impact of worry on problems. Findings illuminate potential intervention targets for buffering discrimination’s influence on adolescents’ psychosocial functioning.