Journal of Black Psychology RSS feed -- OnlineFirst Articles

A Meta-Study of Black Male Mental Health and Well-Being

Watkins, D. C., Walker, R. L., Griffith, D. M. — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:23:35 PST

Aggregating and interpreting available qualitative data is a necessary next step to understanding the mental health needs and experiences of Black men. This study describes the findings from a meta-synthesis of qualitative research on Black men’s mental health and well-being using Paterson, Thorne, Canam, and Jillings’s qualitative meta-study approach. Though previous studies have reported various forms of racism as salient concerns for Black men’s mental health and well-being, findings from this meta-study revealed seven themes that present an initial step toward advancing the knowledge pertaining to how Black men perceive and express their mental health and well-being. For instance, male gender socialization and economic status were found to play as large a role in Black men’s mental health and well-being as racism. Additional theoretical perspectives are proposed, and implications for clinical practice and research are discussed.

A Brief Report on the Association of Academic Tracking With Depressive Symptoms in High School Students in Jamaica

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:01:26 PST

There has been limited research on academic tracking and depressive symptoms among high school students in Jamaica. Students enrolled in Grade 10 of traditional and nontraditional high schools in Jamaica were surveyed (N = 278). Students completed the Beck Depression Inventory–II along with several other measures. Seven in every 10 students reported some symptoms of depression. Results of hierarchical regression analyses controlling for social class found that students attending nontraditional high schools reported significantly higher Beck Depression Inventory–II depression scores than students in traditional high schools. This was particularly true for male students attending nontraditional high schools. The strong emphasis on academic achievement and the tracking of students may have a negative association with Jamaican students’ depressive symptoms.

Racial and Athletic Identity of African American Football Players at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly White Institutions

Steinfeldt, J. A., Reed, C., Steinfeldt, M. C. — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:16:04 PST

This study examined racial and athletic identity among African American football players at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and predominantly White institutions (PWIs). Negotiating the dualism of racial and athletic identities can be problematic because both roles are subject to prejudice and discrimination, particularly for student-athletes in revenue-producing sports like football. Results indicated that seniors at both institution types reported significantly lower levels of Public Regard and that lower levels of Public Regard predicted higher levels of college adjustment. Senior football players reported a greater acknowledgment that society does not value African Americans, and this acknowledgment predicted greater college adjustment. No differences between institution types in racial Centrality emerged, but football players at PWIs reported higher levels of Athletic Identity. By garnering a better understanding of the psychosocial needs of African American football players, these results can inform college student personnel who can prioritize facilitating student-athlete academic and life skills with the same attention given to ensuring their athletic success.

Skin Bleaching Among Togolese: A Preliminary Inventory of Motives

Kpanake, L., Sastre, M. T. M., Mullet, E. — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:16:04 PST

The motives underlying the practice of regular skin bleaching among Togolese people were examined, using Apter’s metamotivational theory as the framework. Factor analysis using scree test and a varimax rotation showed eight independent types of basic motives that are characteristic of this theory. Four motives appeared as clearly dominant. Participants practiced skin bleaching on a regular basis mainly (a) to appear important, (b) to look attractive, (c) because they enjoyed their light-colored skin, and (d) because skin bleaching was fashionable. They did not practice skin bleaching as a demonstration of opposition to African culture or to their relatives or as a demonstration of compliance with others’ wishes. They also sometimes practiced skin bleaching as a means of securing a job. Implications in terms of health policy are discussed.

Linking Home-School Dissonance to School-Based Outcomes for African American High School Students

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:16:04 PST

The current study examined associations between home-school dissonance and several academic and psychological variables among 239 African American high school students. Regression analyses revealed that home-school dissonance significantly predicted multiple academic and psychological variables, including academic cheating, disruptive classroom behavior, performance avoidant and performance approach goal orientations, and poor self-reported English and math grades. Implications of this research include a more systematic incorporation of African American high school students’ out-of-school experiences into their classroom learning experiences.

Long-Term Effect of Early Relationships for African American Children's Academic and Social Development: An Examination From Kindergarten to Fifth Grade

Iruka, I. U., Burchinal, M., Cai, K. — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:16:03 PST

This study investigates the extent to which the quality of the relationships between African American children and their mothers and teachers in kindergarten predict academic and social development during elementary school years using the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. The role of prior center care and the ethnicity of the kindergarten teacher were also examined as moderators. Hierarchical linear modeling indicated that a close relationship with mothers during kindergarten predicted children’s academic skill on standardized achievement tests and mother-rated social skills, whereas a close relationship with the kindergarten teachers predicted mother-and teacher-rated social skills and teacher-rated behavior problems. Teacher ethnicity moderated the association between conflict with the kindergarten teacher and subsequent behavior problems. The possible implications of these findings for African American children’s academic and social success are discussed.

Coping With Racism: What Works and Doesn't Work for Black Women?

West, L. M., Donovan, R. A., Roemer, L. — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:16:02 PST

Perceived racial discrimination (PRD) has deleterious effects on Black Americans. However, there is minimal empirical research on the influence of gender and coping on the relationship between PRD and mental health.This study posited that coping style (i.e., problem-focused coping and avoidant coping) would moderate the relationship between PRD and depressive symptoms in Black women. The sample included 91 Black women (mean age of 23.32 years) from an urban New England university. The Schedule of Racist Events, the Coping Orientations to Problems Experienced scale, and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale were used to measure PRD, coping style, and depressive symptoms, respectively. Multiple regressions showed that problem-focused and avoidant coping significantly moderated the relationship between lifetime PRD and depressive symptoms. In addition, avoidant coping significantly moderated the relationship between recent PRD and depressive symptoms. The directions of these findings indicate that higher levels of problem-focused coping may buffer the effects of PRD on depressive symptoms, and higher levels of avoidant coping may exacerbate the effects. Implications for Black women’s resiliency and susceptibility to mental health distress are discussed.

Racism, Parent Support, and Math-Based Career Interests, Efficacy, and Outcome Expectations Among African American Adolescents

Alliman-Brissett, A. E., Turner, S. L. — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:18:06 PDT

Using an extended model of social cognitive career theory, this study investigated ways in which African American middle school adolescents perceive racism and the associations among various aspects of perceptions of racism, other background factors, and math-based career interests, efficacy, and outcome expectations. Results indicated that African American adolescents clearly delineated among various types of interpersonal and institutional racism. Results also showed that various types of perceived racism were negatively associated with math efficacy and outcome expectations but positively associated with math and science interests. Greater interests in math were negatively related to poor academic performance, which in turn was negatively related to lack of peer support. Math outcome expectations was positively related to math efficacy and parent support. Adolescents who had lower academic performance also received greater parental support. The authors suggest that perceptions of racism be included as a factor in studies that examine the development of math/science interests among African American middle school adolescents.

Predictors of Black Students' Race-Related Reasons for Choosing an HBCU and Intentions to Engage in Racial Identity-Relevant Behaviors

Van Camp, D., Barden, J., Sloan, L. R. — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:59:10 PDT

This study explores the antecedents and consequences of race-related reasons for historically Black college and university (HBCU) choice. A total of 109 undergraduate students attending a historically Black university completed questionnaires assessing their race-related reasons for choosing the university and their intention to engage in race-related activities, as well as individual difference measures. Students with less contact with other Blacks growing up or more central racial identities were more likely to cite race-related reasons for HBCU college choice. Furthermore, lack of contact and higher racial centrality predicted greater intention to engage in behaviors to develop racial identity (e.g., race-oriented clubs and personal reading). Critically, race-related reasons for college choice mediated the impact of both contact and centrality on behavioral intentions. Finally, non-race-related reasons for college choice (i.e., academic and financial) were distinct from race-related reasons and failed to predict race-relevant behavioral intentions. Thus, the race-related reasons behind this critical life choice form a bridge between the race-relevant aspects of the past and intentions to engage in racial identity–developing behaviors in the future.

Racial Identity, Racial Context, and Ingroup Status: Implications for Attributions to Discrimination Among Black Canadians

Outten, H. R., Giguere, B., Schmitt, M. T., Lalonde, R. N. — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:59:10 PDT

Using Self-Categorization Theory as a conceptual framework for understanding attributions to discrimination, the primary aim of this study was to move beyond focusing on the degree to which racial minorities define themselves in terms of their race (i.e., racial centrality). Specifically, the authors examined how multiple dimensions of Black racial identity affected attributions to racial discrimination in two attributionally ambiguous situations. For Black Canadians exposed to intergroup contexts, racial identity beliefs that emphasize the distinctiveness of the Black experience (low public regard and nationalist ideology) were associated with greater perceived discrimination across the two situations, whereas racial identity beliefs that stress the similarities between the Black experience and that of other groups (assimilationist and humanist ideologies) were associated with perceiving less discrimination. Racial identity beliefs did not predict attributions when the target and potential perpetrator were members of the same racial group. Implications for studying the relationship between Black racial identity and perceived discrimination are discussed.

Understanding the Educational Aspirations of African American Adolescents: Child, Family, and Community Factors

Nichols, T. M., Kotchick, B. A., Barry, C. M., Haskins, D. G. — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 09:36:28 PDT

The current study examined the association between multiple systems of influence (adolescent, family, and community) and the educational aspirations of African American adolescents. Guided by ecological and integrative models of child development, in the current study the authors examined the association between the educational aspirations of 130 socioeconomically and educationally disadvantaged urban African American adolescents (mean age = 16.76 years) and factors within the adolescent (attitudes toward education and school self-esteem), family (perceived parental/guardian educational involvement and educational expectations), and community (number of community resources present and the average utilization of community resources). A hierarchical multiple regression indicated that both the adolescent and the family systems were related significantly to educational aspirations and explained a significant proportion of the variance. A test for moderation by gender indicated that African American males’average utilization of community resources was related significantly and positively to their educational aspirations. The findings suggest that by targeting both micro and macro levels of influence, interventions can be designed to foster higher aspirations among at-risk African American youth.

Coping Behavior in Hurricane-Affected African American Youth: Psychometric Properties of the Kidcope

Vigna, J. F., Hernandez, B. C., Kelley, M. L., Gresham, F. M. — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 08:58:24 PST

Hurricane Katrina forced thousands of children in and around New Orleans to cope with life-altering circumstances. The Kidcope, a checklist designed to assess coping in pediatric populations, has been used to evaluate children after disasters. Research has demonstrated the importance of considering the role of cultural factors in the development and use of coping strategies. The authors examined the factor structure and psychometric properties of the Kidcope on the basis of the responses of hurricane-exposed, African American, predominantly low income youth in New Orleans and surrounding areas. The results yielded a one-factor scale for the adolescent version and three factors for the child version. Future directions for use of the Kidcope with African Americans are discussed.

It Takes a Village to Raise a Researcher: Narrative Interviewing as Intervention, Reconciliation, and Growth

White, A. M., Dotson, W. — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 09:51:05 PST

The "narrative revolution" in psychology emphasizes that individuals are storytellers and that narratives can provide rich data about people’s identities and the meanings given to life-altering experiences. The "griot" or storyteller is revered among people of African descent, thus, narrative interviewing can be a culturally appealing method for gathering the life stories of African Americans in identity research. However, narrative interviewing can be linked to philosophical paradigms such as logical positivism, critical theory, or other philosophies of science. This article tells a story about how the authors’ research moved from one set of assumptions (logical positivism) to another (critical theory with Afrocentric and feminist values)—using the same method but applying it in the interest of an optimal Black feminist psychology. Details are provided from the lives of the authors as well as from the lives of the African American men they interviewed. Such details elucidate the way in which the authors’ "subjectivity" added positively to the research experience and highlight how the research experience constituted a larger story of narrative interviewing as intervention, reconciliation, and personal growth.

Risk Revisited: The Perception of HIV Risk in a Community Sample of Low-Income African American Women

Younge, S. N., Salem, D., Bybee, D. — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:58:54 PDT

Despite the high rate of HIV infection among low-income African American women, research suggests that perceptions of HIV risk among this population are not elevated compared to other groups. It is evident that an individual’s subjective perception of risk is based on a multiplicity of both internal and external factors, including relationship context and cultural worldview. This study examines the contribution of cultural worldview to low-income African American women’s HIV risk perception. A hierarchical linear regression was conducted on a community sample of low-income African American women (N = 196). Results demonstrate that when partner infidelity was controlled, financial independence and interpersonal control were significant predictors of perceived HIV risk, with lack of power related to elevated levels of perceived risk. When relationship power and HIV knowledge were taken into account, cultural worldview was a significant negative predictor of perceived risk, with high levels of fatalism associated with low perceived risk. Findings suggest that knowledge alone is not enough to explain HIV risk perception. The role of cultural worldview must be taken into account.