Bernard Donte L, Pollock Makayla L
Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri.
J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. 2024 Nov 22:1-14. doi: 10.1080/15374416.2024.2426119.
Research to date has produced compelling evidence of the potentially traumatic consequences of racial discrimination among Black adolescents and adults. Seldom explored, however, is how the potentially traumatic effects of racial discrimination may be shared across the family context. To clarify the relevance of racial trauma across the family system, the current study examined the relationship between racial discrimination and trauma symptoms among a sample of Black adolescent-caregiver dyads.
Data were drawn from a larger self-report survey study examining Black family life experiences. For this study, data from 202 Black adolescents (Mage = 14.50, 52% female) and their caregiver (Mage = 41.63, 83% female) were used to test actor-partner interdependence models examining the associations of racial discrimination and trauma symptoms.
Significant actor effects revealed that racial discrimination was positively associated with self-reported trauma symptoms among adolescents and caregivers. Additionally, partner effects were found, such that adolescent and caregiver experiences of discrimination were positively associated with the trauma symptoms of their family member. Analyses also revealed that the association between racial discrimination and trauma symptoms among caregivers was dependent upon youth experiences of racial discrimination.
The current study lends credence to theories linking racism and trauma-related symptomatology across the life course and family system. Collectively, study findings highlight the importance of understanding the effects of racism beyond the individual and underscores the value and need for family tailored interventions that can repudiate the shared impact and potential intergenerational effects of racial discrimination across Black families.
迄今为止的研究已产生令人信服的证据，证明种族歧视对黑人青少年和成年人有潜在的创伤性后果。然而，很少有人探讨种族歧视的潜在创伤影响如何在家庭环境中传播。为了阐明种族创伤在整个家庭系统中的相关性，本研究调查了黑人青少年与照顾者二元组样本中种族歧视与创伤症状之间的关系。
数据来自一项更大规模的关于黑人家庭生活经历的自我报告调查研究。在本研究中，来自202名黑人青少年（年龄中位数=14.50岁，52%为女性）及其照顾者（年龄中位数=41.63岁，83%为女性）的数据被用于测试行为者-伙伴相互依赖模型，以检验种族歧视与创伤症状之间的关联。
显著的行为者效应表明，种族歧视与青少年和照顾者自我报告的创伤症状呈正相关。此外，还发现了伙伴效应，即青少年和照顾者的歧视经历与他们家庭成员的创伤症状呈正相关。分析还表明，照顾者的种族歧视与创伤症状之间的关联取决于青少年的种族歧视经历。
本研究为将种族主义与整个生命历程和家庭系统中与创伤相关的症状学联系起来的理论提供了可信度。总体而言，研究结果强调了理解种族主义对个人之外的影响的重要性，并强调了针对家庭的干预措施的价值和必要性，这些干预措施可以消除种族歧视对黑人家庭的共同影响和潜在的代际影响。
