Black Families Research Articles

Contextualizing relationship quality between pregnant Black women and the fathers of their babies: A latent class analysis.

Black women in the United States experience higher rates of adverse maternal and birth outcomes (e.g., depressive symptoms and preterm birth), influenced by social and psychosocial factors including mother-father relationship quality. Existing measures of relationship quality often overlook the unique dynamics within Black families, requiring a more nuanced approach. This study aims to contextualize the multidimensional nature of relationship quality between pregnant Black women and the fathers of their babies. Using a cross-sectional design, we analyzed data from 405 women enrolled in the Biosocial Impacts on Black Births study. Participants completed questionnaires at 19-29 weeks gestation on six indicators of relationship quality: frequency of contact, frequency of father's involvement during pregnancy, relationship before and during pregnancy, support, and conflict. Latent class analysis was used to identify a construct of relationship quality. Three distinct classes of relationship quality were identified: "no relationship," "conflictual relationship," and "good relationship." Sensitivity analyses showed that while marital or cohabitation status was highly correlated with both the relationship indicators and identified classes, its inclusion as an additional indicator did not alter classification in the latent class model. These classes highlight the intricacies of relationship dynamics, which may be specific to Black families. This study underscores the importance of considering the multifaceted context of relationship quality, which is essential for designing culturally informed public health strategies or interventions. The implications of our findings are significant for both research and clinical interventions aimed at improving birth outcomes for diverse populations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Development of an Antiracist Behavioral Health Practicum within a Youth-Serving Community Organization

ABSTRACT Background Due to systemic racism, low-income Black youth experience both heightened stressors that contribute to behavioral health difficulties and a disparity in access to empirically supported and culturally relevant services. Black scholars and communities have long pushed for antiracist approaches, but those calls have gone largely ignored by the behavioral health field, as evidenced by marked deficits in training clinicians to understand and challenge racist practices steeped in our field. Objective Despite a renewed call across behavioral health, there are few applied models for how to incorporate antiracism in training beyond a single “diversity” class. Training from this lens and within community settings is essential not only to increase equitable access to services for low-income Black families and other marginalized groups, but also to shift the behavioral health field to systems-level dialogue and action. This paper describes the development of a child-focused behavioral health practicum in a community setting as a potential model for other sites seeking to implement an antiracist lens. Method The setting for the current study is Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan, a youth-serving community organization with clubs across the Metro Detroit area with proximity to multiple training programs and universities. The practicum is examined across three phases – preparation, implementation, and expansion – evaluated through Shelton and colleagues’ (2021) antiracism implementation science framework. Results Across each phase, we identify both areas of alignment and opportunities within an antiracism lens. In examining each phase, we demonstrate the feasibility of our antiracist training model, which was well-accepted by both trainees and nearly 1000 families served in our first practicum year. Conclusions While this paper provides actionable steps for practicum sites to implement antiracist approaches, extending such approaches to broader systemic change and resistance within the field of behavioral health is necessary for equitable research and practice.

Dismantling Lost Cause Fables: A Content Analysis Examining Narrative and Visual Representations of Slavery in U.S. History Textbooks

Lost Cause revisionism obscures racialized chattel slavery’s foundational position in antebellum society and its significance as the cause of the American Civil War. Misperceptions about enslavement and the social construction of race abound in modern classrooms due to vague coverage and Eurocentric perspectives in U.S. history textbooks. Thus, slavery is simultaneously decontextualized and normalized in narrative descriptions and visual imagery. Lost Cause fables embedded in the explicit curricula persuaded generations of students that slavery was an economic inevitability legally and politically sanctioned in the British colonies of North America and the United States of America. This content analysis study examined visual imagery and narrative descriptions of enslavement in six primary- and secondary-level U.S. history textbooks. Textbook inclusion criteria drew from national and state-adopted texts to assess horizontal and vertical alignment across U.S. history curricula. Critical race theory informed the data collection and analysis procedures focusing on the centrality and social construction of race, particularly relating to racialized enslavement in British North America. The analysis centered on textbook representations of racialized slavery and developmentally-appropriate lessons about America’s racial, social, and gender hierarchies. The findings indicated that current U.S. history textbooks reproduce nineteenth-century Lost Cause ideology by justifying enslavement and normalizing Whiteness. Narrative descriptions of enslavement used sanitized language echoing Lost Cause fables about fair treatment and benevolent patriarchal enslavers. Visual representations illustrated antebellum contrasts from moonlight and magnolia imagery of plantation homes and heroic portraits of Confederate generals to distressing images of lash-scarred backs of enslaved people and Ku Klux Klan members threatening Black families in their homes. The findings illustrated the defense of antebellum culture and the Confederacy, which have considerable consequences for 21st-century society. The study’s findings have implications for key decision-makers regarding the current and future framing of race-based chattel slavery in U.S. history textbooks and explicit social studies curricula.

What Sorrows Labour in My Parent's Breast? A History of the Enslaved Black Family

What Sorrows Labour in My Parent's Breast? A History of the Enslaved Black Family

Gaps, Successes, and Opportunities Related to Social Drivers of Health from the Perspectives of Black Preterm Infant Caregivers: A Qualitative Study.

To identify Black preterm infant caregiver experiences and institutional priorities regarding screening and addressing social drivers of health (SDH). In the Centering Black Preterm Infant Caregiver Priorities (CENTER & CARE) study, Black female researchers conducted semi-structured interviews in 2024 with Black caregivers of preterm infants born in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. Transcripts were coded using a book generated from an interview guide and the resulting data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Themes were generated and refined through discussion. Twenty socio-demographically diverse caregivers participated. Five themes were identified: (1) financial insecurity and inadequate access to resources for everyday social needs contribute negatively to caregiver and child health and well-being; (2) a trusted provider who takes a personal approach to screening and addressing SDH is needed in medical settings; (3) inequitably distributed, fragmented, and disorganized medical and social support systems in the transition to home period are burdensome and a source of stress; (4) community-based organizations centering Black families holistically address SDH and promote social well-being and connectedness; and (5) state and federal legislation, policies, and programs are critical opportunities to address SDH. SDH are a significant source of stress for caregivers after preterm birth, and there are opportunities across state and federal legislative policies, community-based organizations, medical systems, and connections across the systems to address them.

A Systematic Review of Barriers to and Facilitators of Early Learning and Childcare Among Black Children and Families in Canada and the USA.

Early Learning and Childcare (ELCC) services are essential social determinants of a child's well-being. However, many barriers exist within the ELCC climate of Canada and the United States of America (USA), limiting marginalized communities' access to quality ELCC services. The objective of this systematic review is to investigate the barriers and facilitators that influence access to adequate ELCC for Black children and families. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, 55 studies were reviewed to examine common barriers and facilitators in accessing ELCC services for Black and racialized families living in Canada and the USA. The barriers and facilitators identified were grouped into four themes: familial context, types of care, socioeconomic factors, and cultural competence. The factors of parental involvement, access to formal ELCC services, income level, parental educational level, parental employment, cultural competence, and racism emerged as either barriers or facilitators depending on their existence and direction of influence. The reviewed studies discussed the impact of parental employment, specifically, maternal employment, on whether a child is enrolled in an ELCC program. The results of this study can advise ELCC service providers and policymakers in making the ELCC climate more equitable specifically for Black and other racialized communities.

Relationship intervention moderates the association between substance use and biological aging among Black adults.

Black Americans face disproportionate challenges related to substance use and the health impacts of substance use, including accelerated aging. Accordingly, interventions are needed to protect against the harmful effects of substance use on accelerated aging. The present study examined whether the Protecting Strong African American Families (ProSAAF) intervention, a relationship education program designed to promote strong relationships among Black families, moderated the association between substance use and accelerated aging among Black couples. Black couples received either the ProSAAF intervention or a minimal-touch control intervention and provided deoxyribonucleic acid specimens for methylation-based biomarker measurements of alcohol use and cigarette smoking (Alcohol T scores and cg05575921, combined into a substance use composite) and accelerated aging (DNAm GrimAge) 6- and 9 years postintervention. Participants receiving the ProSAAF intervention (relative to the control condition) experienced a significantly weaker association between substance use and accelerated aging. Among the participants who were in the same relationship as when they were initially randomized, the association between substance use and aging was significantly weaker in the ProSAAF condition than in the control condition for participants with lower relationship satisfaction preintervention; no differences emerged among those with higher satisfaction. ProSAAF mitigated some of the harmful effects of substance use on accelerated aging among Black couples, particularly among those with lower preintervention relationship satisfaction. These findings highlight the potential for relationship interventions to serve as sources of constructed resilience that promote healthier aging. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Racial Match: Black Youth and Pediatric Integrated Primary Care

Objective: Black youth face numerous barriers to equitable mental health care that contribute to service underutilization. Some clinicians and researchers encourage matching Black youth with Black clinicians as a strategy to mitigate the effects of these barriers and improve treatment outcomes and engagement. Evidence in the adult therapy literature demonstrates that racial matching can improve treatment outcomes (i.e., symptom reduction) for Black adults; however, youth research is limited and largely restricted to traditional outpatient treatment models. Pediatric integrated primary care (IPC) aims to improve mental health access by embedding mental health services into primary care clinics; however, little is known about how racial match influences service utilization and delivery in pediatric IPC for Black youth. Method: We utilized retrospective chart review to examine associations between patient–psychology clinician racial match and service utilization and delivery in a pediatric IPC clinic serving predominately Black families ( N = 234, 50% female, 100% Black). Our primary measures of interest were patient–provider racial match, psychology attendance rate, and first encounter diagnosis. Results: Black clinicians were grossly underrepresented in our dataset and families had limited opportunities to receive racially matched care. Black youth attendance rates were unrelated to working with a Black clinician, but youth were more likely to receive a developmental/learning/autism diagnosis during their first encounter when working with a Black clinician. Conclusions: Racially matched care in IPC remains a promising strategy to improve care and warrants further investigation, both in the literature and in clinical practice.

Development and evaluation of a healthcare decision-making intervention for African American parent-adult daughter dementia dyads: a mixed-methods study protocol

IntroductionThere is a higher proportion of African American care partners due to African American older adults having more than twice the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) compared...

Countering Racialized Logics About Black Students and School Attendance

Deficit narratives about Blackness are embedded in research, discourse, and policies as policymakers and researchers theorize about differences in schooling outcomes between Black students and their peers. We offer a counterstory to prevailing conceptualizations of student absenteeism by arguing that they center racialized and deficit narratives about Blackness in explaining why students miss school and noting how they ignore the influence of systemic factors. Studying attendance rates in Georgia, we show that Black students miss school at comparatively lower rates than their peers after accounting for days missed because of suspensions and expulsions. We postulate that Black families’ historical and contemporary school involvement strategies contextualize Black students’ lower discipline-adjusted absenteeism rates and counter the deficit narratives about their parental involvement.

Early childhood measurement invariance of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire across age, race, sex, and socioeconomic status.

Research suggests there are differences in children's internalizing and externalizing symptoms as a function of age, race, sex, and socioeconomic status (SES). Males, Black children, and children experiencing lower SES have been rated as having more externalizing problems. Female and older children have been rated as having higher internalizing symptoms. The validity of these findings rests on the assumption that the measures mean the same thing across groups and developmental time (i.e., measurement invariance [MI]). Without assuring MI, results may represent differences in measurement and not true differences in the underlying construct. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a widely used tool to measure internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Papers have evaluated MI of the SDQ in school-aged children. However, to our knowledge, no studies of young children have examined MI across Black and White families from diverse SES backgrounds. Data from the Family Life Project were used to evaluate MI of the SDQ across child age (35 to 90 months), race, sex, and SES. Using moderated nonlinear factor analysis (MNLFA), multiple SDQ items demonstrated measurement noninvariance as a function of child demographic variables. Results suggest that it is important to test and adjust for noninvariance with the SDQ when applied to early childhood populations comprising Black and White children from diverse SES backgrounds. An MNLFA approach improves our ability to validly measure and compare symptoms of psychopathology in diverse early childhood populations. This could have implications for our understanding of rates of mental health challenges and treatment in early childhood. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Memorable Messages About Racism in Black Families: Attributions, Intergenerational Transmission, and Well-Being

ABSTRACT The present study explored memorable messages about racism passed down from Black parent(s) to their children. 237 Black adults completed an anonymous survey. First, participants shared a memorable message they recalled from their parent(s) about racism. Eight memorable message themes emerged: critical incidents, cultural socialization, egalitarianism, preparation for bias, promotion of mistrust, racism as individual actions, racism as systemic, and silence. Second, participants shared attributions for why they believed the memorable message was shared. Results of independent sample t-tests revealed that memorable messages with stable attributions reported lower relational satisfaction with their fathers. In comparison, memorable messages with unstable attributions reported higher relational satisfaction with their fathers. Last, we gauged the likelihood of intergenerational transmission of the memorable message. Results revealed participants were least likely to transmit messages of silence when compared to all other memorable message themes except for critical incidents. This study offers unique theoretical and practical implications.

A Descriptive Qualitative Study of Religion and Spirituality's Role in Critical Illness Decision Making among Black and White Family Caregivers

A Descriptive Qualitative Study of Religion and Spirituality's Role in Critical Illness Decision Making among Black and White Family Caregivers

Culturally Adapting an Occupational Therapy Intervention for Black American Autistic Communities.

Ayres Sensory Integration® is an evidence-based intervention for autistic children, but there is no culturally responsive adaptation to support Black American autistic children and their families. To culturally adapt an occupational therapy intervention for Black American families. Qualitative study involving focus groups and interviews, using researcher triangulation and member-checking surveys for the trustworthiness of findings. Zoom focus groups and interviews. Convenience sampling resulted in 12 participants, including Black American parents and caregivers, cultural experts, and occupational therapy practitioners who provide services to Black American autistic children. Interviews and focus group discussions. Four parents and caregivers, two cultural experts, and six practitioners participated. Five themes emerged regarding barriers and eight for supports in accessing and utilizing occupational therapy services, including cultural humility knowledge and practices by practitioners and strategies for engaging and incorporating families' culture. This study demonstrates the process of culturally adapting an occupational therapy intervention according to relevant literature and the insight and expertise of parents and caregivers, cultural experts, and occupational therapy practitioners. Plain-Language Summary: This project identified challenges and supports for Black American families of autistic children regarding access to and engagement in occupational therapy services. We adapted an occupational therapy intervention to address these challenges and to include recommended supports to guide occupational therapy practitioners to be more culturally responsive and collaborative with Black American families of autistic children throughout the therapeutic process. Positionality Statement: The inclusive term Black American is used to engage people from all cultural and ethnic backgrounds who are a part of the Black and African-American community throughout the United States (Rivera-Figueroa etal., 2022). Also, identity-first terminology and the term autistic are used according to autistic adults' preferences for embracing one's identity (Taboas etal., 2023). The research team consisted of female occupational therapists (Rachel Dumont, Roseann Schaaf, Lady Rios-Vega, and Taylor Sivori, who self-identified as White, White, Latina, and White, respectively); female and male occupational therapy students (Allison Barrett, Emily Knell, and Joshua Njoroge, who self-identified as Asian, White, and Black and White, respectively); and a male focus group facilitator (Levone Cannady, who self-identified as Black). The principal investigator (PI) for this study, Rachel Dumont, and co-PI, Roseann Schaaf, have 16 yr and more than 30 yr of research experience, respectively. The co-PI has extensive experience with occupational therapy using Ayres Sensory Integration and was the director of the Jefferson Autism Center of Excellence. The focus group facilitator had over 8 yr of experience in leading groups and workshops.

The talk and walk in Black families: Exploring racial socialization content and competency in the context of parental worries about racial profiling and adolescents' internalizing outcomes.

Although many parents worry that their child will be the target of racial profiling, there is a dearth of literature on how parental worries about children facing racism are linked to racial socialization (RS) practices and youth internalizing symptoms. Additionally, it is unclear how RS content relative to competency may uniquely influence whether and how parental worries influence youth internalizing outcomes. Using data from 203 Black parents (Mage = 44.099, 68% mothers) of adolescents, the current study examines the direct effects of parental worries on RS content (cultural socialization, preparation for bias, and promotion of mistrust) and competency (confidence, skills, general stress, and call to action stress) on youth internalizing outcomes, as well as whether RS content and competency indirectly links parental worries about racial profiling with youth internalizing symptoms. Parental worries were positively related to greater RS content across domains and child internalizing symptoms, but there were no indirect links. Parents' worries about racial profiling were positively associated with more call to action stress, general stress, and youth internalizing symptoms. RS confidence and general stress were associated with fewer and greater internalizing symptoms, but there were similarly no significant indirect effects. Findings speak to supporting and addressing parental stress in the context of family racial worries and child adjustment and have implications for policy efforts to dismantle racism and fund programs that support youth and caregivers in managing the ongoing consequences of this insidious stressor.

Examining the Intergenerational Transmission of the Strong Black Woman Narrative.

This study examines the intergenerational transmission of the strong Black woman (SBW) narrative between Black mothers and daughters, exploring how this transmission contributes to both resilience and psychological stress. Utilizing a collective case study design with 10 participants (5 mother-daughter dyads), the study reveals how the SBW narrative, encompassing pride in identity, community support, and survival lessons, is perpetuated within Black families. It also delves into strategies Black women believe can facilitate healing from generational trauma, emphasizing changing the narrative and fostering new attitudes toward self-care. The findings underscore the importance of utilizing culturally responsive systemic approaches to explore how generational narratives shape identity and mental health. These insights highlight the need for understanding and addressing the complexities of generational trauma and cultural narratives in mental health practices.

Barriers and Facilitators Influencing Parents' Willingness to Follow Healthcare Provider Guidance for Addressing Behaviors Linked to Early Childhood Obesity Risk: A Qualitative Descriptive Study.

Barriers and Facilitators Influencing Parents' Willingness to Follow Healthcare Provider Guidance for Addressing Behaviors Linked to Early Childhood Obesity Risk: A Qualitative Descriptive Study.

The Significance of Relationships in Black Youth's Narratives of Out‐of‐Home Care in Ontario's Child Welfare System

ABSTRACTFor youth in the child welfare system, relationships can be a catalyst for change and resilience. Child welfare workers are responsible for caring for youth, ensuring their permanency, and—wherever possible—maintaining relationships between youth and their families. Unfortunately, not all youth feel supported during their time in out‐of‐home care (OOHC). For black youth, research has begun to document the challenges and disparities they face while in the child welfare system. Given the adversities that black youth and families face across the child welfare continuum, there is a need to investigate the interactions between child welfare workers and black youth. This study explores the narratives of 27 black youth with lived experience navigating OOHC in Ontario's child welfare system and their relationships with child welfare workers. Three main narratives emerged: 1) the impacts of worker instability and unavailability; 2) the need for transparency, safety, and youth voice in decision‐making; and 3) what relationships meant to black youth and how they can be strengthened. Recommendations include maintaining transparency and inclusion in decision‐making, addressing factors that impact workers' capacity to build meaningful relationships, training focused on the impacts of anti‐black racism, and supporting black youth in building relationships with their families.

Illustrating the Application of Brief Integrated Behavioral Health Prevention Visits

Objectives: This case study explores the application of a brief Integrated Behavioral Health-Prevention (IBH-P) model in a pediatric primary care setting that provides care to families experiencing complex psychosocial stressors. The model focuses on promoting social–emotional health and well-being while addressing structural and systemic inequities that hinder access to mental health care for families living in poverty and underresourced communities. The IBH-P visits use a universal, standardized approach, emphasizing trauma-informed care and recognizing the impact of caregiver well-being on the child. Method: This case study demonstrates the feasibility and impact of the IBH-P model through a case example of a Black family living below the federal poverty line. Results: The case study illustrates results previously documented in the literature regarding the impact of this IBH-P model. These include adherence to well child visits (WCVs), achieving developmental milestones on target, enhanced family distress tolerance and socioemotional well-being, reduced unnecessary emergency department visits, and sustained progress despite psychosocial risk factors. Conclusions: This case example highlights how IBH-P effectively supports families facing multiple challenges and promotes health equity for underresourced populations. It underscores the importance of culturally responsive care, standardization, and flexibility in building scalable and sustainable IBH programs.

Black Men and IPV: How Exposure to Trauma Impacts Their Intimate Relationships

ABSTRACT Most of the research on the disproportionately high rates of family violence in Black families focuses on the experiences of the Black women. Yet, the majority of the people perpetrating this violence are Black men, and their voices and experiences are rarely heard and even less commonly centered. Our analysis, based on over 200 face-to-face interviews with Black men who perpetrate intimate partner violence (IPV) and their partners, is uniquely guided by the theoretical frame provided by Black Feminist Criminology (BFC) which allows us to interrogate the specific structures that create the context in which to analyze Black men’s high rates of perpetrating IPV. Our findings identify three sources of trauma that impact young Black men—(1) experiencing violence in their families of origin, (2) witnessing and/or experiencing violence in their communities (CVE), and (3) the trauma of incarceration – that put them at increased risk for perpetrating IPV in adulthood. Understanding this tripartite exposure that produces complex trauma in Black men and elevates their risk for abusing their partners has significant implications for both intervention and prevention of IPV in Black families.