Beyond Trauma Exposure: Discrimination and Posttraumatic Stress, Internalizing, and Externalizing Problems Among Detained Youth

Abstract

According to the race-based traumatic stress model, racial discrimination is proposed to comprise a traumatic experience that results in posttraumatic stress symptoms, as well as internalizing and externalizing problems among youth. Accordingly, a significant body of research has emerged that supports the associations among these constructs. However, the majority of these empirical studies have not accounted for the potential role of traditionally defined traumatic events in these associations. This study investigated whether self-reported racial discrimination was related to posttraumatic stress symptoms, internalizing, and externalizing symptoms above and beyond the impact of other trauma exposures in a sample of 266 detained youth (79% boys, 60% identified as an ethnic minority). Results of hierarchical linear regressions demonstrated that, after accounting for youths’ other trauma exposures, racial discrimination accounted for significant variance in the models predicting delinquency and risk-taking but no other externalizing and internalizing problems, or posttraumatic stress symptoms. These findings indicate that racial discrimination may be particularly important for understanding offending behavior among detained youth.

Racial discrimination and other adverse childhood experiences as risk factors for internalizing mental health concerns among Black youth

“…Although previous research has demonstrated that racial discrimination is associated with externalizing behaviors above those stemming from other psychosocial traumatic experiences among youth (Mendez et al, 2020), this study was among the first to demonstrate that similar associations exist in the context of internalizing concerns. Negotiating racial discrimination is a developmental process that necessitates sophisticated behavioral and cognitive coping strategies.…”

“…Among youth in particular, experiences of racial discrimination have been associated with acute and long‐lasting mental and behavioral health problems that can persist into adulthood (Assari et al., 2017). Indeed, even after controlling for “conventional” forms of childhood adversity, such as abuse and exposure to domestic violence, racial discrimination has been shown to continue to predict negative psychological trauma sequelae (Mendez et al., 2020). Alarmingly, Black adolescents report an average of five encounters of racial discrimination per day (English et al., 2020), which positions them to be particularly susceptible to experiencing trauma‐related mental health concerns.…”

Trauma-informed forensic mental health assessment: Practical implications, ethical tensions, and alignment with therapeutic jurisprudence principles.

“…Acquiring an understanding on the effect of culture can help the evaluator appreciate an examinee’s willingness or not to disclose psychological difficulties (Javier & Lamela, 2020). Considering culture also means attending to the effects of discrimination, marginalization, and intergenerational trauma (Griffith, 1998; Griffith & Dudley, 2020; Kerig et al, 2020; Mendez et al, 2020).…”

Rejection sensitivity and vulnerable attachment: associations with social support and PTSD symptoms in trauma survivors

“…Moreover, rejection sensitivity was found to predict a decrease in level of social support (Zielinski & Veilleux, 2014 ). Interestingly, trauma exposure can also increase aggression individuals with high rejection sensitivity, which may hinder their ability to seek support (Mendez, Mozley, & Kerig, 2020 ) although research in this area is still very limited. Taken together, rejection sensitivity has a negative impact on social support and hence it could affect recovery from trauma and facilitate PTSD but to date the association between PTSD and rejection sensitivity has not been investigated.…”