Risk Factors of Attenuated Psychosis Syndrome in African American Young Adults: Ethnic Identity and Adverse Childhood Experiences

Abstract

A variety of mental health problems in adulthood are related to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). By age 16, twothirds of children in the African American community report experiencing at least one traumatic event. The research field of ACEs is relatively young and current research accounts for less than half of ACE exposure types and their individual role in the development of mental illnesses like psychosis. Even fewer bodies of research explore cultural factors between ACEs and attenuated/subclinical psychotic symptoms. The purpose of this research was to explore how ethnic identity amongst African American young adults impacted the presentation and severity of subclinical psychotic symptoms, by way of ACE exposure. A convenience sample of 304 African American college students participated in this study. The results revealed that materialism and individualism subscales of Cultural Misorientation (CM), a measure of ethnic identity, mediated the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and subclinical psychotic symptoms in women. No association was found in men. The results suggest that clinicians and campus counselors should be aware of social cultural factors contributing to mental attenuate/subclinical psychotic symptoms.