The effects of changes in racial identity and self-esteem on changes in african american adolescents' mental health.
This study assessed the unique effects of racial identity and self-esteem on 259 African American adolescents' depressive and anxiety symptoms as they transitioned from the 7th to 8th grades (ages 12-14). Racial identity and self-esteem were strongly correlated with each other for males but not for females. For both males and females, an increase in racial identity over the 1 year was associated with a decrease in the prevalence of depressive symptoms over the same period, even with self-esteem controlled. It was concluded that racial identity may be as important as self-esteem to the mental health of African American adolescents, and it explains variance in their mental health not associated with feelings of oneself as an individual.
Mandara
Jelani
J
Northwestern University, 2120 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, USA. j-mandara@northwestern.edu
Gaylord-Harden
Noni K
NK
Richards
Maryse H
MH
Ragsdale
Brian L
BL
D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology*; D002641:Chicago; D002648:Child; D003863:Depression / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007207:Individuation; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011203:Poverty; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors; D012933:Social Identification