Report Publish Date: January 4, 2024

We know that racism and ethnic discrimination are social determinants of health. We also know experiencing racism and discrimination affects our physical and mental health and can lead to symptoms of traumatic stress in adults.  

But what about children and adolescents? The researchers investigated what we already know about how racism affects young people’s mental health. 

Primary Takeaways

Few studies have been conducted on the relationship between experiencing racism and having traumatic stress symptoms as a child or adolescent. The studies that have been done show an association between racism and traumatic stress for young people. But more research is needed to help us understand more about how long the effects last, how they differ by gender, and how they compare to the effects of racism on adults. 

Overview and Objectives

Young people from “ethnoracially minoritized” groups in the U.S. have to navigate growing up in a world that values some groups more than others. Often, they experience racism and ethnic discrimination, which may affect their development and have long-lasting impacts on their lives.  The researchers wanted to know if studies had already been done connecting experiences of racism with symptoms of trauma among children and adolescents, rather than adults. They wanted to know how those studies had been conducted and what they had found, so far.

Hypothesis or Approach 

The researchers looked for, reviewed, and analyzed research that “described associations between racism-related experiences and traumatic stress symptoms among ethnoracially minoritized children and adolescents.”   They searched a number of scientific databases and used several existing methodologies to assess the quality of the studies and whether they were appropriate to include in this review. They settled on 16 eligible studies, on which they conducted a meta-analysis to understand relevant and common findings.

How This Influences Change

Based on the findings of this study, trauma-informed services can be more culturally responsive by taking into account young people’s experiences of racism.