(PS7-A1) The Impact of Perceived Discrimination and School Support on Rates of Externalizing Symptoms Among Youth in the ABCD Study

Saturday, November 19, 2022

10:30 AM – 11:30 AM EST

Location: Westside Ballroom, 5th Floor

Author(s)

Ad

Abigail B. de Arellano, B.A.

Research Assistant
Medical University of South Carolina
Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

Co-Author(s)

EJ

Essence Jennings, B.S.

Research Assistant
Medical University of South Carolina
67 President Street, South Carolina
DB

Dominique Black, B.S.

Research Assistant
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
JR

John Redhead, B.S.

Research Assistant
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
AG

Alexis Garcia, Ph.D.

Clinical Assistant Professor
Medical University of South Carolina
charleston, South Carolina

Black youth are at greater risk for experiencing discrimination and subsequent mental health consequences (e.g., Williams & Mohammed, 2009; Patcher & Coll, 2009). Civitillo and colleagues identified the importance of school climate such that positive interactions buffer the impact of perceived discrimination (PD) on global self-esteem and emotional school engagement (Civitillo et al., 2021). However, it is unclear whether school climate (SC) buffers the effects of discrimination on broader mental health symptomology. The present study sought to examine the association between PD and SC to predict youth externalizing problems (EXT).

Methods: The ABCD study is a multisite (21 sites) longitudinal study of brain development and child health which utilized an epidemiological approach to resemble the geographic, demographic, and socioeconomic makeup of the United States through school-based and community recruitment. The sample for the current study consisted of 9,739 youth (mean age = 10.93 year, SD = .64 years; 52.1% male; 67.5% White, 13.6% Black, 2.3% Asian, 16.6% Other; 18.4% Hispanic) who completed the Year 1 follow up. Youth psychopathology was measured by parent-report on the Child Behavior Checklist. Youth self-reported on their levels of PD and SC. Nested regression analyses were conducted in the Data Exploration Analysis Program (DEAP) using the R system generalized additive mixed modeling (GAMMA4). The following models were tested: Model 1- association between race and PD to predict EXT, Model 2 - association between race, PD, and SC to predict EXT.

Results: All analyses controlled for age, sex, ethnicity, parent marital status, parent education, family income, and internalizing problems. For Model 1, race and PD were significantly associated with EXT, such that Black youth (b = 1.84, p < .05) and youth reporting greater rates of PD (b = 2.16, p < .001) exhibited higher levels of EXT problems. This model accounted for 32% of the variance in predicting EXT. When examining Model 2, PD continued to predict EXT, such that greater rates of PD (b = 1.52, p < .001) were associated with higher levels of EXT problems. On the other hand, we found a negative association between SC and EXT, such that youth reporting higher levels of positive SC had lower levels of EXT problems (b = -.17, p < .001). There was no longer a significant race finding (ps > .05). Model 2 also accounted for 32% of the variance in predicting EXT.

Conclusion: Meta-analyses examining the effectiveness of school-based mental health services have demonstrated universal and targeted interventions produce moderate to large effects in youth’s psychological and academic functioning. Given minorities and children from disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to seek mental health services in the community, they may be best served and supported in a setting they already trust, which is schools. This study highlighted the importance of SC, such that there was a significant relationship between PD and EXT. Further research should investigate which elements of school support (e.g., student-teacher relationships) are most protective to optimize the effectiveness of school-based interventions.