The depth of stories: How Black young adults' disclosure of high arousal negative affect in narratives about the COVID‐19 pandemic and the BLM protests improved adjustment over the year 2020

Abstract

The present study investigates whether the way Black young adults constructed their narratives regarding the stressful events of the COVID‐19 pandemic and the black lives matter (BLM) protests related to adjustment over time. A two‐wave mixed prospective and retrospective longitudinal study was conducted in July and December 2020 and included a total of 90 Black young adults. Narrative reports were collected at baseline to determine the psychological interpretations of the two events and were coded based on affect disclosure. Both time points examined adjustment to the COVID‐19 pandemic and the BLM protests as well as the extent to which the basic psychological needs for autonomy, relatedness, and competence were affected. Our results showed that disclosure of high arousal negative affect in narratives at baseline was associated with better adjustment over time. Additionally, results of process analyses showed that satisfaction of the basic psychological need for autonomy (e.g., feelings of personal agency, choice, and volition) mediated the association between narratives and adjustment. These results suggest that engaging in disclosure of high arousal negative affect may be associated with heightening adjustment because it enhances individuals' autonomy, perhaps resulting in a beneficial integration of the events into their broader life narratives. These findings highlight the potential of well‐constructed narratives to impact adjustment over time and have implications for clinical practice to support Racialized communities during unprecedented events.

An empirical evaluation of the predictors and consequences of social media health-misinformation seeking behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Additionally, only one-third of a nation in a country has a solid awareness of their health (Mahadevan, 2013). Furthermore, it is identified that people who lacked health information literacy skills were more likely to disclose their poor health (Audet et al, 2023). Due to their inability to accurately understand and comprehend health-related information and guidance, those with low health literacy were Healthmisinformation seeking behavior more seriously and frequently afflicted by the COVID-19-driven variations (Audet et al, 2023).…”

“…Furthermore, it is identified that people who lacked health information literacy skills were more likely to disclose their poor health (Audet et al, 2023). Due to their inability to accurately understand and comprehend health-related information and guidance, those with low health literacy were Healthmisinformation seeking behavior more seriously and frequently afflicted by the COVID-19-driven variations (Audet et al, 2023). They may share their medical and health status online with those individuals with limited health expertise, leading them to become a victim of health-misinformation (Lobato et al, 2020).…”

“…Health information literacy refers to a person's ability to acquire, evaluate and use health knowledge and information (Fu et al , 2021). According to social cognitive theory, there is a positive correlation between health efficacy and health information literacy, which involves knowing where to find relevant information and how to identify it (Lee et al , 2020; Audet et al , 2023). Information literacy and the ability to access relevant information are closely linked (Okunola et al , 2017).…”