How Discriminatory Policing Affects the Mental Health of Black Americans

The purpose of this study was to test the association between frequency of exposure to discriminatory police practices and poor mental health among Black Americans and to explore potential moderators of that association. Survey data were collected from 227 Black Americans. The survey measured exposure to negative police behaviors, two dimensions of Black Americans' identity, psychological distress, somatic symptoms, and demographic covariates. The data were analyzed with OLS regression to test the direct effects of police discrimination exposure on distress and somatic symptoms and the potential for moderator effects of two dimensions of racial identity: public and private regard. The analysis found that frequency of exposure to police discrimination was not significantly associated with distress, but it was significantly associated with somatic symptoms, suggesting that Black Americans respond to police discrimination via expressions of physical pain, rather than psychological discontent. Neither dimension of racial identity was directly associated with somatic symptoms, but they both predicted less psychological distress. Private regard did not moderate the association between police discrimination and either outcome, but higher public regard amplified the association between police discrimination and both distress and somatic symptoms. These moderator effects suggest that Black Americans who believe the public holds them in high regard are more sensitive to the negative health effects of police discrimination, perhaps because they are less prepared and more taken aback when treated poorly by the police.