Data Collection Status: Complete

Black Family Life Experiences Study

STUDY PURPOSE

Racism-related trauma can have significant implications for the mental health and well-being of Black youth. The Black Family Life Experiences Study examines how racism-related trauma contributes to internalizing and externalizing symptoms among Black adolescents while exploring how culturally relevant factors, such as racism-related vigilance and racial identity, may shape vulnerability and resilience in the face of these experiences.

Funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)

racism related vigilance | rumination | racism-related trauma

Bernard, D. L., & Pollock, M. L. (2026). Racial Discrimination and Trauma Symptoms Among Black Adolescent-Caregiver Dyads. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 55(2), 299–312. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2024.2426119

Bernard, D. L., & Galán, C. A. (2025). Understanding the link between racial discrimination and traumatic stress symptoms among Black youth: The role of co-rumination and racism-related vigilance. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0002026