Examining the Influence of Racial Self-Identity on Black Adolescents’ Psychological Well-Being: A Mixed-Methods Study Across Counties in Arizona and Florida

Abstract

This study used a mixed methods research design to capture the broad notions of racial identity and psychological stressors’ impact on well-being in African American youth across various counties in the states of Arizona and Florida. Several forms of psychological stressors that directly impact the natural development of self, such as external racism, internal racism, poverty, and violence, have been studied extensively within the African American (AA) community (APA, 2016; Morsey & Rothstein, 2019; Williams, 2018). Current interventions provide some relief, yet Black youth still undergo high rates of victimization, criminalization, and mental health concerns. Thus, finding many solutions to mitigate the impact of more extensive systemic policies and frameworks that uphold inequality is imperative. Increasing the use of Black Personality Theory to conceptualize Black identity in youth has been shown to lead to positive outcomes such as well-being and self-esteem (Constantine et al., 2005; Thomas et al., 2003). After exploration, evidence to support a significant difference in racial identity and psychological stressors between states was not found. However, Black adolescents in Florida reported higher levels of life satisfaction than those in Arizona. Additionally, the predictive ability of African Diasporic frameworks of identity development did contribute significantly to well-being across differing counties in both Arizona and Florida. Furthermore, trends of a solidified conceptualization of Blackness’ positive impact on well-being despite immense racial stressors were confirmed.