Examining the promotive versus the protective impact of culturally informed shift-&-persist coping in the context of discrimination, anxiety, and health behaviors.

Abstract

This study aims to better understand how racially/ethnically minoritized youth exhibit adaptive psychological functioning (less anxiety) and health behaviors (better sleep and less binge drinking) in the context of discrimination, ethnic‐racial identity and coping. Among 364 minoritized emerging adults (M age = 18.79, 85.2% female), we utilized higher‐order factor analysis to examine how culturally informed shift‐&‐persist (S&P), a higher‐order construct explaining associations between coping factors (shift, persist, spiritually based coping, civic engagement), and ethnic‐racial identity were related to anxiety, binge drinking, and sleep in the context of discrimination. Culturally informed S&P promoted better sleep and less anxiety controlling for discrimination. No significant effects were observed for binge drinking and no moderated effects were observed across outcomes. The harmful effect of discrimination on sleep was intensified for those with stronger ethnic‐racial identities. The promotive and potentially protective effects of culturally informed S&P coping differs across mental health and health behavior outcomes.