Racial Trauma and Mental Health: The Adaptive Role of Psychological Flexibility for Young Black Adults

Although recent work has highlighted the relation of racial trauma and adverse mental health sequelae specifically among Black Americans, the potential mechanisms underlying these associations remain relatively unknown. The present study examined psychological flexibility as a mediator of the association between racial trauma and symptoms of depression, suicide ideation, and anxiety. A sample of 417 Black young adults between the ages of 18 and 29 (53.5% male; M_age = 24.7, SD = 2.5) were recruited from a southwestern public university and social media to complete an online self-report survey. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses revealed significant indirect effects of racial trauma on increased symptoms of depression, anxiety, and suicide ideation via lower levels of psychological flexibility. This study demonstrated a link between racial trauma and depressive symptoms, anxiety, and suicide ideation, providing further evidence for the significant psychological burden of racial trauma. Additionally, study findings suggest that psychological flexibility is a key intervention target that may reduce the adverse impact of race-based traumatic stress for Black young adults.