Examining critical anti-racism action as a buffer of the link between discrimination and mental health outcomes

Abstract

Youth in the U.S. must navigate intersecting systems of oppression as they develop. One potentially adaptive approach to navigating oppressive systems is through engagement in informed action to promote greater justice (“critical action”). This study examined whether a particular kind of action, anti-racism critical action, has protective mental health effects on Black and White U.S. adolescents. The study also examined whether experiences of discrimination such as feeling that one is treated worse than others are associated with greater engagement in anti-racism critical action. We find that, for both Black youth and White youth, experiences of discrimination are associated with anti-racism critical action. Black youth are equally likely to engage in anti-racism critical action if they attribute their discrimination to their race as if they attribute it to other causes. We also find that, for White youth but not for Black youth, some forms of anti-racism critical action attenuate the link between experiences of discrimination and mental health outcomes. We suggest that future research attend to the nuanced ways in which experiences of discrimination may shape engagement in anti-racism critical action as well as other forms of critical action, whether for the benefit of oneself and for others.