Black Parents’ Experiences of Racial Discrimination Associated With Children’s Depression

Black parents’ experiences of racial discrimination may be linked to greater conflict with their children, which could in turn be associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety among children, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

Previous studies of Black adults have found that overt forms of racial discrimination, including being treated with less respect or unfairly stopped or threatened by police, contribute to heightened depression, anxiety, and traumatic stress, wrote Chardée Galán, Ph.D., of the University of South California and colleagues. “[S]tudies find that parents’ exposure to race-based discrimination is negatively linked not only to their own well-being but also to their parenting practices and parent-child relationship quality.”

Galán and colleagues recruited families who self-identified as Black from the Safe Keeping Youth study—a randomized, controlled trial of youth and caregivers receiving services at a clinic serving low-income youth in Pittsburgh. Families were recruited based on their sociodemographic risk, such as if they received Medicaid or their income was at or below 150% of the federal poverty level and if their children were between the ages of 9.75 and 13 years old and exhibited problem behaviors (such as impulsivity).

Families participated in 2.5-hour assessments in their homes when the parents and children entered the study, one year later, and two years later. The assessments consisted of questionnaires that both the parent and child completed, as well as video-recorded discussions between them. At the start of the study, parents completed the Microaggression Scale, a nine-item measure of parents’ experiences of discrimination related to race/ethnicity. During the one-year follow-up, parents were asked about their experience with 20 depressive symptoms and the frequency of these symptoms over the past week; youth completed an interview to assess behavioral and emotional problems and parent-child conflict. During the two-year follow-up, parents reported behavioral and emotional problems observed in the youth over the past six months, and youth were asked about their experiences with depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and frequency of such activities as property damage or theft in the past year.

In total, 199 families completed all three assessments, and over 96% of parents who completed the initial assessment were mothers. Parents’ experiences of racial discrimination at the start of the study were not associated with parental depression a year later, but they were associated with parent-child conflict. Further, there was a significant association between parent-child conflict at the one-year follow-up and youth depression, anxiety, and conduct problems at the two-year follow-up, as reported by both children and parents. The authors did not identify a significant association between parental depression and parent-child conflict.

“Findings from this study suggest that efforts to promote youth well-being and resilience in the context of pervasive racism must consider the effects that racial discrimination has on the entire family unit and the quality of parent-child relationship,” the authors concluded. “[O]ur results can be used to further inform the development of key treatment targets for future clinical interventions.”

For related information, see the Psychiatric News article “We Must Speak to Patients and Their Families About Racism.”

(Image: iStock/Prostock-Studio)

---

Don't miss out! To learn about newly posted articles in Psychiatric News, please sign up here.

Follow Psychiatric News on Twitter!

APA Mourns Loss of Rep. John Lewis, Praises Trailblazing Legacy

As civil rights leader and longtime congressman Rep. John Lewis is laid to rest today in Atlanta, APA released a statement honoring his memory and celebrating his lifelong work to end racial inequality.

“We are mourning the loss of a leader who meant so much to the Black community and to all Americans who strive for equity and justice,” said APA President Jeffrey Geller, M.D., M.P.H., in APA’s statement. “For more than a half century, Rep. John Lewis showed what walking the walk truly means in promoting civil rights, even putting his own life at risk in service of the cause. His lesson to us is to continue that work through speaking up, taking tangible actions, exhibiting humility, and practicing perseverance. In taking on racial discrimination, we will do well if we take to heart his words: ‘I believe race is too heavy a burden to carry into the 21st century. It's time to lay it down. We all came here in different ships, but now we're all in the same boat.’”

Lewis began advocating for racial equality when he was just a teenager. At 23, he was the youngest speaker at the March on Washington in 1963, at which the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., gave his iconic, “I Have a Dream,” speech. Lewis was also one of the original Freedom Riders, civil rights activists who rode buses between Southern states to challenge seating segregation.

In 1965, when Lewis was 25, he helped lead a march for voting rights across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala. Alabama state troopers met the marchers at the end of the bridge and charged them when they stopped to pray. Lewis’s skull was fractured during the incident that day, which has since been dubbed “Bloody Sunday.”

As a member of Congress, Lewis was dedicated to advancing racial and ethnic equality and supported policies that ensured struggling families had access to safety nets. Just this year he had introduced legislation aimed at supporting the health and well-being of current and former foster care youth transitioning into adulthood (HR 7591), as well as a bill that would ensure minority and medically underserved communities have access to public health interventions and medically necessary services during the COVID-19 pandemic (HR 7546).

“Rep. John Lewis was a selfless, constant advocate for civil rights for Black Americans and other underrepresented groups and a shining example for the rest of all of us,” said APA CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin, M.D., M.P.A., in APA’s statement. “Rep. Lewis continually made his voice heard and pushed for change to help millions of Americans, whether it was during the struggle for voting rights or in fierce advocacy for the Affordable Care Act. His memory serves as an inspiration to us at APA to continue his legacy and to strive for the ideals he believed in.”

Lewis also cosponsored the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act (HR 7120), which includes a wide variety of policies meant to increase accountability among law enforcement and end discriminatory policing practices. In a floor statement Lewis made in support of the legislation, he said that, in making the call for racial equity and equality, young people today are “taking up the mantle in a movement that I know all too well.

“For far too long, equal justice and protection under the law have been deferred dreams for Black people and communities of color across our country,” Lewis said in his floor statement. “[A] democracy cannot thrive where power remains unchecked and justice is reserved for a select few. Ignoring these cries and failing to respond to this movement is simply not an option. For peace cannot exist where justice is not served.”

Highlights From APA Annual Meeting: Day Three

Day three of APA’s Annual Meeting included a call to psychiatrists to lead in efforts to improve the lives of children, the release of APA poll results showing mental health stigma remains a major challenge in the workplace, and conversation around the ways psychiatrists can help people of differing political backgrounds find common ground.

Through May 22, Psychiatric News will deliver an evening digest of important highlights from the meeting.

Kellogg CEO Urges Psychiatrists to Advocate for Trauma-Informed Care for Children

During the William C. Menninger Memorial Lecture on Monday, La June Montgomery Tabron called on psychiatrists to promote racial healing and to integrate social determinants of health into medical care so all people have an equal opportunity to living a healthy life.
Read More >

Poll Draws Attention to Mental Health Stigma in Workplace, Concerns Over Social Media

Although most respondents to a national poll by APA said they know how to access mental health services through work, more than one-third worry that seeking mental health care might impact their job. Those surveyed also agreed that social media may be contributing to feelings of loneliness and social isolation. Read More >

Simpler Blood Monitoring, Sharing Clinical Experiences Critical to Expanding Clozapine Use

Speaking to a packed house, schizophrenia experts share their experiences with clozapine to increase psychiatrists’ comfort in using the highly effective but underutilized treatment.
Read More >

Black Psychiatrists Persevered Despite Discrimination in Education, Organized Medicine

Speakers at a 175th Anniversary History Track session described how black psychiatrists sought equal treatment and the need to continue working to eliminate racial discrimination.
Read More >

Women Making Strides in Academic Psychiatry but Gender Bias, Discrimination Still Too Common

The number of women entering psychiatry continues to increase, but a gender gap persists in compensation, advancement, and research funding. Session attendees offer up several practical solutions. Read More >

Factors to Keep in Mind When Prescribing to Pregnant Patients

Most psychiatric medications can be safely continued in pregnancy, but changes that occur during pregnancy may affect absorption, distribution, and metabolism of these medications. Read More >

Psychiatrists Have Role to Play in Building Bridges Between Today’s Polarized Society

A sociologist explores the psychological reasonings that fuel the divergent views of those on the right and the left. Read More >

Stay Tuned for Coverage of 175th Anniversary Gala

APA’s 175th Anniversary Gala at the magnificent San Francisco City Hall got under way as this issue of the APA Daily went to press. More than 700 people were expected to attend. Proceeds will support the work of the APA Foundation. Coverage of the gala will appear in a future issue.