Exploring Childhood Trauma, Race-Related Stress, Racial Socialization, and Symptoms in Black Emerging Adulthood

Abstract

Objective: Systemic oppression contributes to disproportionate rates of childhood trauma and race-related stress among Black emerging adults, heightening harmful psychological outcomes (Hope et al., 2022; Williams et al., 2010). This study explored how race-related stress infuences the relationship between childhood trauma and internalizing symptoms in Black emerging adults. It also investigated whether racial socialization messages moderated these efects in a three-way interaction. Methods: Black emerging adults (ages 18 – 25) were recruited through academic channels and social media platforms to complete a demographic questionnaire, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire – Short Form (CTQ), the Index of Race-Related Stress – Brief Version (IRRS-B), the Racial Socialization Questionnaire-teen (RSQ-t), and the Brief Symptom Inventory–18 (BSI-18). Hayes’ PROCESS Model 3 was utilized to test moderated moderation analysis. Results: Analyses comprised 341 Black emerging adults (75.4% women, 31% 18-year-olds). Race-related stress did not moderate the relationship between childhood trauma and internalizing symptoms, B = -0.004, SE = 0.0025, 95% CI [-0.0054, 0.0046]. The overall moderated moderation model was not signifcant, B = 0.00002, SE = 0.0002, 95% CI [-0.0002, 0.0007]. However, higher endorsed childhood trauma and racial socialization messages, in the absence of race-related stress, were associated with increased internalized symptomology, B = 0.0105, SE = .0045, 95% CI = [0.0017, 0.0194]. Conclusions: These fndings highlight the unique ways childhood trauma, race-related stress, and racial socialization messages impact Black emerging adults’ psychological functioning. A higher frequency of endorsed racial socialization messages may amplify distress associated with childhood trauma. Future research should investigate racial socialization competency and coping self-efcacy to better understand racial socialization’s role as a potential protective factor for Black emerging adults facing psychological distress from trauma and stress.