Understanding the Multiple Influences on Black Parents' School Involvement: A Longitudinal Perspective.

This study explores longitudinal influences of various factors on Black parents' involvement in their children's education. Guided by Hoover-Dempsey & Sandler's Model of Parent Involvement, this research examines whether parents' school climate perceptions, attitudes about involvement, self-efficacy, and children's academic performance predict parent involvement over time. Utilizing data from the Maryland Adolescence in Context Study with a sample of 560 Black parents, we found that positive school climate perceptions and favorable attitudes towards involvement significantly predict increased parent involvement in later years. The results underscore the importance of supportive school environments and parent attitudes in fostering their involvement.

Masculinity and Afrocentric Worldview: Assessing Risk and Protective Factors of Self-Reliance and Ubuntu on Young Black Men's Suicide Ideation.

OBJECTIVE: Over the past three decades, there has been a disproportionate increase in premature deaths among young Black Males (YMBs) in the US. This devastating trend has been largely driven by suicide in YBMs. Ecological and interpersonal psychological theories can be leveraged to understand the etiology of premature death in YBMs through both risk and protective factors. This cross-sectional study assessed the influence of depression, self-reliance, Ubuntu (a commonly noted feature of the Afrocentric worldview), and attitudes toward mental health help-seeking behaviors on suicidal ideation among YBMs. METHOD: Participants (n = 422) who were identified as male, Black American, or African American and aged 18-29 years old completed an online survey between June and July 2022. Ordinal logistic regression correctly classified 76.5% of cases and found a statistically significant difference between observed and expected values. RESULTS: The odds of reporting suicidal ideation were higher among those with more symptoms of depression and self-reliance and lower among participants who reported more compassion compared to the reference group. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that compassion, an important aspect of Ubuntu, may have a protective effect against suicidal ideation, whereas high levels of depression and self-reliance may be linked to a greater vulnerability to suicidal ideation. As such, the current study recommends that interventions should reduce suicidal ideation and increase mental well-being among YBMs.

Afrocentric Norms and Substance Use Behaviors Among Black Young Adults.

Despite not displaying higher overall rates of substance use compared to White Americans, the social consequences of substance use disorders for Black Americans, particularly among Black American men, are more damaging. Furthermore, recent data suggest an uptick in substance use-related deaths among Black Americans, raising serious concerns about a growing health disparity that warrants the need for studies to identify factors associated with prevention. For decades, Black cultural theorists have argued that Afrocentric norms are important buffers against maladaptive behaviors in Black Americans, but the association in the context of substance use is still an emerging area. The present study investigated the associations between Afrocentric norms, Afrocentric self-regard, internalized negative stereotypes, and substance use attitudes and behaviors among Black young adults. Self-report questionnaires were administered to measure internalized negative stereotypes, Afrocentric norms, Afrocentric self-regard, substance use attitudes, and substance use from a sample of Black young adults (N = 619). Favorable attitudes toward substance use were found to be positively associated with internalized negative stereotypes but were inversely associated with Afrocentric norms and Afrocentric self-regard. Similarly, substance use reports within the past 30 days were inversely associated with Afrocentric norms, but the relationship to cannabis use was non-significant. Gender differences between Black men and women were also found. Implications for social work are discussed.

Anxiety sensitivity among Black youth: A cross-sectional analysis of the direct and indirect effects of community violence exposure, neighborhood risk, parenting practices, and peer effects.

Youth exposed to community violence and neighborhood stressors report devastating mental health consequences. Black youth are at greater risk and experience community violence at rates higher than other youth populations. An underexplored mental health consequence is anxiety sensitivity, the fear of experiencing anxiety-related symptoms, which contributes to maladaptive coping strategies and the development and severity of other mental health problems. This study utilized structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine socio-ecological risk and protective factors associated with community violence exposure and anxiety sensitivity among low-income Black youth. Survey data are from a sample of 320 Black youth residing in public and subsidized housing in a Northeastern city in the United States. Results indicated that neighborhood risk, parenting behaviors, and exposure to delinquent peers were indirectly associated with anxiety sensitivity, which occurred through community violence exposure. Additionally, neighborhood risks had direct effects on anxiety sensitivity. Results point to the need to incorporate social and environmental factors in interventions addressing anxiety sensitivity among Black youth in urban communities.