The dyadic effects of racial discrimination: Using latent class analysis to explore patterns of racial discrimination among Black parent-adolescent dyads.

OBJECTIVES: This study examines whether Black parents' and adolescents' experiences with racial discrimination (RD) combine to create distinguishable subgroups, whether demographic variables predicted membership into the derived subgroups, and whether membership into these subgroups influence parents' and adolescents' mental health and family social support. METHOD: Using data from Black parent-adolescent dyads (n = 401), a three-step latent class analytic approach was employed to examine study objectives. RESULTS: Four distinguishable parent-adolescent subgroups were identified based on who experienced RD: (1) both parent and adolescent (parent-adolescent RD subgroup), (2) parent only (parent RD subgroup), (3) adolescent only (adolescent RD subgroup), and (4) neither parent nor adolescent (no parent-adolescent RD subgroup). Demographic variables did not predict membership into the subgroups. Parents and adolescents not exposed to RD generally had fewer psychological symptoms and more family social support than subgroups with RD exposure. The parent-adolescent RD subgroup conferred additional risk for poor mental health outcomes and less family social support for adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: Findings underscore the value of measuring patterns of RD and its consequences among family members. By not considering the influence of family members' experiences, the negative psychological and social consequences of RD may be underestimated. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

African Americans' relationship quality and depressive symptoms: A longitudinal investigation of the Marital Discord Model.

The present study was designed to examine the complex bidirectional associations between relationship quality and depressive symptoms among African American couples. Informed by the Marital Discord Model, particular attention was devoted to understanding the unique associations of positive and negative dimensions of relationship functioning with depressive symptoms over time, the time frames over which these effects occur, and the model's applicability for African American couples. One hundred seventy-four African American couples (N = 348 individuals) provided information on depressive symptoms, relationship satisfaction, ineffective arguing, and partner support four times over a 25-month period. Hypotheses were tested using Random-Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Models to separate between- and within-person effects. Results indicated that between-person associations with depressive symptoms were significant for relationship satisfaction (negative association) and ineffective arguing (positive association), but not partner support. Within-person concurrent effects were also significant with depressive symptoms and each of the relationship processes under investigation. Within-person 8-month lagged effects were only significant for partner support and depressive symptoms (negative association); these effects were significant in both directions, but stronger from support to depressive symptoms than from depressive symptoms to support. Study findings provide increased conceptual and analytic precision for understanding the association between couples' relationship quality and African Americans' mental health, including malleable relationship factors that can be targeted in family-focused interventions to promote individual and couple well-being. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Discrimination, family emotional climate, and African American health: An application of the BBFM.

The Biobehavioral Family Model (BBFM) is a biopsychosocial model of health that has been substantiated across multiple studies. However, the findings of those studies are limited given the lack of representation of Black/African American individuals in the samples. Discrimination is a chronic and pervasive stressor for many African American families, yet little is known about connections between discrimination, family relationships, and health. Using Data from the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) Milwaukee project (n = 592), this study tested the pathways of the BBFM with a sample comprised only of African American individuals Additionally, it tested how discrimination influenced the pathways of the BBFM. Results of model testing found that family support (above and beyond romantic partner relationship quality and family strain) was a key factor in respondents' mental and physical health and that family support mediated the association between discrimination and mental health. The findings suggest the importance of including discrimination when examining family health pathways for African Americans and exploring the influence of relationships beyond the romantic partnership when examining health. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Skin-Tone Trauma: Historical and Contemporary Influences on the Health and Interpersonal Outcomes of African Americans.

Empirical evidence demonstrates that racism is a source of traumatic stress for racial/ethnic minorities, particularly African Americans. Like race and racism, skin tone and experiences of colorism-an often overlooked form of discrimination that privileges lighter skinned over darker skinned individuals, although not uniformly, may also result in traumatic stress. This article proposes a new conceptual model of skin-tone trauma. The model depicts how historical and contemporary underpinnings of colorism lead to colorist incidents that may directly and indirectly, by eliciting traumatic stress reactions, lead to negative effects on the health and interpersonal relationships of African Americans. Key tenets of critical race and intersectionality theories are used to highlight the complexities of skin-tone trauma as a result of intersectional identities on the basis of existing social hierarchies. Last, we present suggestions for researchers, as well as recommendations and strategies for practitioners, to unmask "skin-tone wounds" and promote healing for individuals, families, and communities that suffer from skin-tone trauma. Skin-tone trauma should be acknowledged by researchers, scholars, and practitioners to better understand and assess the widespread scope of trauma in the African American community.

Exploring Factors That Contribute to Positive Change in a Diverse, Group-Based Male Batterer Intervention Program: Using Qualitative Data to Inform Implementation and Adaptation Efforts.

Although batterer intervention programs (BIPs) are often mandated for perpetrators of intimate partner violence, the precursors and mechanisms of change operating within these programs remain unclear. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the perceptions and experiences of participants in a diverse, group-based male BIP to better understand factors facilitating positive change. Data were gathered through individual interviews with 15 men and were analyzed using grounded theory. Findings suggest that change is taking place through a reciprocal process in which change occurring via the group context facilitates change within participants and vice versa. The specific benefits of the group context and value of group diversity were emphasized. Factors supporting this change process include the role of group facilitators and providing group members with access to ongoing support. These results are useful for informing the continued implementation and adaptation of BIPs with the goal of reducing and ultimately terminating abusive behaviors.

Parental experiences of racial discrimination and youth racial socialization in two-parent African American families.

OBJECTIVES: Parents experiencing racial discrimination are likely to transmit racial socialization messages to their children to protect them from future injustices. This study was conducted to better understand the role of parents' racial discrimination in their racial socialization practices for 2-parent African American families. METHOD: Using a sample from the Promoting Strong African American Families (N = 322 couples) program, we examined the effects of experienced discrimination on one's own and one's partner's racial socialization practices with male (n = 154) and female (n = 168) offspring. RESULTS: Multiple-group actor-partner interdependence models showed that racial discrimination was associated with racial socialization practices. In addition, maternal experiences of discrimination had stronger relations to socialization messages relayed to daughters and greater paternal experiences of discrimination had stronger relations to socialization messages given to sons. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates variability in how male and female children in African American families are socialized as a result of their parents' experiences with racial discrimination.

Identifying relevant components to include in a parenting intervention for homeless families in transitional housing: Using parent input to inform adaptation efforts.

Homeless families in transitional housing face a number of distinct challenges, yet there is little research seeking to guide prevention and intervention work with homeless parents. Informed by the tenets of community-based participatory research, the purpose of this study was to identify relevant components to include in a parenting intervention for this population. Data were gathered from 40 homeless parents through semistructured individual interviews and were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The resulting 15 categories suggest several topics, approach considerations, and activities that can inform parenting intervention work with homeless families in transitional housing. Study findings are discussed within the context of intervention fidelity versus adaptation, and implications for practice, research, and policy are suggested. This study provides important insights for informing parenting intervention adaptation and implementation efforts with homeless families in transitional housing. (PsycINFO Database Record

Associations between positive parenting practices and child externalizing behavior in underserved Latino immigrant families.

This study examined whether five specific parenting practices (i.e., monitoring, discipline, skill encouragement, problem solving, and positive involvement) were associated with reduced child externalizing behaviors among a sample of Latino immigrant families. It utilized baseline data from 83 Latino couples with children participating in a larger randomized controlled trial of a culturally adapted parenting intervention. Results reveal that monitoring, discipline, skill encouragement, and problem solving each made independent contributions to the prediction of child externalizing behavior, although not all in the expected direction. Further analyses examining mothers and fathers separately suggest that mother-reported monitoring and father-reported discipline practices uniquely contributed to these findings. These results may have important implications for prevention and clinical intervention efforts with Latino immigrant families, including the cultural adaptation and implementation of parenting interventions with this underserved population.