Post traumatic slave syndrome, anxiety, and depression in African American emerging adults

Adapting mental health interventions to increase their cultural and contextual appropriateness is necessary for engaging ethnic/racial groups that have been traditionally excluded or marginalized. The purpose of this study was to examine different variables related to post traumatic slave syndrome (PTSS) and poor mental health outcomes, develop a theorized model of these variables and their interactions, and conduct a test of the model and its ability to predict symptoms of anxiety and depression in a sample of African American emerging adults (N = 87/ Model Analyses N = 86). Variables investigated were multigenerational transmission of trauma (MTT), negative influence of societal and political issues (NISPI), subject to experiences that promote inferiority (SEPI), lack of access to resources (LAR), lack of healing (LH), anxiety (ANX), and depression (DEP). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test model fit and hypothesized pathways.

Fit statistics indicated a mixed fit model (ꭕ² (13) = 25.060, p = .0227; SRMR = .05; RMSEA = .104; CFI = .959.). Results revealed the following direct pathways: MTT→LAR, NISPI→LAR, NISPI→LH, SEPI→LAR, SEPI→ANX, SEPI→LH, LAR→DEP, and LH→ANX. Mediation analyses also determined that LAR influences the strength of the relationship between MTT and DEP (MTT→LAR→DEP), and the strength of the relationship between SEPI and DEP (SEPI→LAR→DEP). Findings from this study suggest the need to specifically address experiences that promote inferiority and perceived adequacy of resources in the treatment of African American emerging adults.