(PS6-23) Racial Minority Status, Externalizing Behavior Trajectories, Self-esteem, and Civic Engagement: A 12 Year Investigation from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN)

The minority stress model (Meyer, 2003) posits that behavioral health disparities among marginalized individuals exist due to excess exposure to social stress. Indeed, discrimination and systemic inequality produce distal and proximal stressors that adversely impact well-being and social functioning. However, some argue that this model reinforces a longstanding deficits-based approach toward minority mental health (Perrin et al., 2020), and argue for the adoption of a minority strengths model that focuses on the protective factors cultivated by living in a hostile environment, such as resilience. The current study explores the relationship between minority racial status, externalizing behavior trajectory, and two indices of positive functioning (i.e., Self-Esteem and Civic Engagement) in a sample of 1354 children (Black 53.3%, White 26.1%, Multiracial 11.9%, Hispanic 7.2%, and Other 1.5%) recruited for LONGSCAN. Specifically, we used latent class growth analysis to identify growth trajectories for externalizing behaviors using Mplus. Externalizing behaviors were assessed biennially from age six to 16. We found that a three-class model was best supported by the data. The three classes were labeled Consistently Low (32% of the sample), Consistently Moderate (60%), and Consistently Elevated (8%). The Consistently Elevated class surpassed clinical significance for externalizing behavior.

            Next, we compared racial minority children with White children to predict class membership. We found that being a Black or Hispanic child served as a protective factor for the development of more severe externalizing behavior relative to White children. Being Black significantly predicted being in the Consistently Low class when compared with the Consistently Moderate or Consistently Elevated classes. Being Hispanic significantly predicted being in the Consistently Low class relative to the Consistently Moderate class. Being Multiracial relative to being White was not significantly predictive of externalizing class trajectory. Lastly, we examined the relationship between class membership and two indices of positive functioning assessed two years later. Being in the Consistently Low class predicted greater self-esteem and civic engagement relative to being in the Consistently Moderate or Consistently Elevated class. Interestingly, there was not a direct and significant correlation between racial identity and self-esteem or civic engagement. While our study is limited by using reported race as a broad indicator for a wide range of experiences, our findings add to a growing body of literature that highlight the complexity of experience between minority social status, well-being, and social functioning. Implications for future research and clinical practice will be discussed.

Meyer, I. H. (2003). Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: Conceptual issues and research evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 129(5), 674–697.
Perrin, P. B., Sutter, M. E., Trujillo, M. A., Henry, R. S., & Pugh Jr, M. (2020). The minority strengths model: Development and initial path analytic validation in racially/ethnically diverse LGBTQ individuals. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 76(1), 118-136.