Much of the research on the link between environmental stressors and mental health has focused on episodic (one time) events, and is limited to largely white samples. This experimental project seeks to identify the most helpful ways for individuals of color to recover from the experience of daily racial microaggressions. Black and African American young adults are asked to recall a recent microaggression and then try multiple emotion regulation strategies. It is our hope that outcomes from this project will clarify which strategies are helpful, and/or conversely demonstrate that strategies that work with white populations do not generalize to individuals of color given their lived experience is colored by daily discrimination.
STATUS: Data collection in progress.
Racial microaggressions are a common, daily experience for Black/African Americans. Understanding how to thrive while navigating ongoing systemic barriers is crucial for improving quality of life. This study examines whether RSA, a peripheral index of parasympathetic tone that measures emotion regulation capacity, predicts risk for social anxiety disorder and resilience for well-being in response to daily microaggressions.
Primary Investigator: Ms. Alisha Sylvester
STATUS: Data collection done. Analysis and dissemination ongoing.
This project examined sources of risk for anxiety and depressive symptoms vs. predictors of wellness among among emerging adults. Given the disparate effects of the pandemic on the Black/African American community and resurgence of political activism in the Black Lives Matter Movement, this project sought to examine the toll of the COVID-19 pandemic and political activism on Black and white young adults mental health before and after the 2020 presidental election.
STATUS: Data collection done. Analysis & dissemination ongoing.
This project examined how undergraduate women maintained their relationships pre-COVID, and how group status and social media engagement were related to current depressive symptoms. Two sororities completed measures on who their friends and companions were in their group (social network data), how they used social media (including behavioral coding of actual FB and instagram accounts), and their current mood.
STATUS: Data collection done. Analysis & dissemination ongoing.