title: Longitudinal associations between experienced racial discrimination and depressive symptoms in African American adolescents.
abstract: While recent evidence has indicated that experienced racial discrimination is associated with increased depressive symptoms for African American adolescents, most studies rely on cross-sectional and short-term longitudinal research designs. As a result, the direction and persistence of this association across time remains unclear. This article examines longitudinal associations between experienced racial discrimination and depressive symptoms among a community sample of African American adolescents (N = 504) from Grade 7 to Grade 10, while controlling for multiple alternative causal pathways. Sex was tested as a moderator of the link between experienced racial discrimination and later depressive symptoms. Structural equation modeling revealed that experienced racial discrimination was positively associated with depressive symptoms 1 year later across all waves of measurement. The link between experienced racial discrimination at Grade 7 and depressive symptoms at Grade 8 was stronger for females than males. Findings highlight the role of experienced racial discrimination in the etiology of depressive symptoms for African Americans across early adolescence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, George Washington University.
authors.forename: Devin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: English
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, George Washington University.
authors.forename: Sharon F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Lambert
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
authors.forename: Nicholas S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Ialongo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D063505:Racism / Q000523:psychology*; D012737:Sex Factors