Gendered racial microaggressions and emerging adult Black women's social and general anxiety: Distress intolerance and stress as mediators

Abstract

There is robust evidence that gendered racial microaggressions affect Black women's mental health. However, few studies have examined how this form of discrimination affects Black women's social anxiety in addition to their general anxiety, as well as the underlying mechanisms related to gendered racial microaggressions and anxiety. Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between gendered racial microaggressions stress (GRMS) and gendered racial microaggressions frequency (GRMF), and Black women's social anxiety and general anxiety symptoms. We also examined the mediating roles of distress intolerance and stress in these associations. Method One hundred and sixty‐three Black women, between the ages of 18 and 25 years old, completed a cross‐sectional survey. Regression analyses were used to examine the associations between gendered racial microaggressions and social anxiety and general anxiety, and mediation analyses examined the indirect effect of gendered racial microaggressions on the outcome variables through distress intolerance and stress. Results GRMS was associated with greater social and general anxiety through the mechanisms of distress intolerance and stress. GRMF was associated with reduced social anxiety and was not associated with general anxiety. Conclusions Intervention efforts should be aimed to prevent the experience of gendered racial microaggressions to prevent subsequent stress and mental health outcomes for Black women.

Diary Study on Microaggressions, Identity Shifting, and Mental Health among Black Women in STEM Graduate Programs During COVID-19: The Mediating Role of Perceived Supervisor Support

“…Discussion The current study provides an exploration of the negative mental health consequences of identity shifting (as a coping mechanism), and gendered racial microaggressions among Black women in STEM graduate programs in the United States. Our results were consistent with previous work that reported significant positive relationships between depression and anxiety symptoms, identity shifting, and gendered racial microaggressions (Burke et al, 2023;Dickens et al, 2022). Our findings also highlighted the deleterious impact that these experiences can have on the mental health of Black women navigating STEM graduate programs, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

“…Our study only looked at the frequency in which Black women in STEM were subjected to gendered racial microaggressions and found the connection with greater depressive and anxiety symptoms. However, the Burke et al (2023) found that the appraisal of stress among Black women experiencing microaggressions was a significant factor, more than the frequency, relative to their mental health outcomes. While the participants in the Burke et al (2023) study were not in STEM, future studies with Black women in STEM should examine both the frequency and stress of microaggressions, along with analysis on the different dimensions of gendered racial microaggressions (e.g., Angry Black woman) to ascertain if the internalization or perception of the context of the microaggressions matter.…”

“…Depressive symptoms are often characterized by feelings of sadness, hopelessness, sleep trouble, cynical thoughts about oneself, and psychological impairment to name a few (Braithwaite, 2003). Black women in higher education who experienced more gendered racial microaggressions or gendered racism were likely to report higher levels of depressive symptoms (Burke et al, 2023;. While past research has examined mental health outcomes among Black women in higher education, few studies explored the mental health experiences of Black women in STEM graduate programs.…”

Common practices for sociodemographic data reporting in digital mental health intervention research: a scoping review

“…However, marginalised individuals, including those who have been and/or are actively discriminated against and experience social, political and economic exclusion due to factors such as age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability and socioeconomic status, are frequently impacted by mental health inequities 1–3. Such inequities may include experiencing higher acute and/or lifetime prevalence rates of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use and suicide,4–14 as well as being more likely to be undiagnosed or underdiagnosed and less likely to receive treatment for their presenting mental health concern 9 15 16. It is widely acknowledged that clinical psychology research has played a vital role in not only facilitating our current understanding of mental health conditions, including their prevalence and course, but also in identifying and refining evidence-based mental health treatment protocols that can meaningfully improve patient symptoms and quality of life 17.…”

Common Practices for Sociodemographic Data Reporting in Digital Mental Health Intervention Research: A Scoping Review

“…However, marginalized individuals, including those who have been and/or are actively discriminated against and experience social, political, and economic exclusion due to factors such as age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, and socioeconomic status, are frequently impacted by mental health inequities (1)(2)(3). Such inequities may include experiencing higher acute and/or lifetime prevalence rates of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use, and suicide (4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14), as well as being more likely to be un-or under-diagnosed and less likely to receive treatment for their presenting mental health concern (9,15,16). It is widely acknowledged that clinical psychology research has played a vital role in not only facilitating our current understanding of mental health conditions, their prevalence and course, but also in identifying and refining evidence based mental health treatment protocols that can meaningfully improve patient symptoms and quality of life (17).…”