Race-Related Traumatic Events Online and Mental Health Among Adolescents of Color
Open accessAbstract
Purpose Viral videos of the detainment of undocumented immigrants in cages and police killings of unarmed citizens are two of the most pressing traumatic events facing adolescents of color. However, little is known about whether these online experiences are linked to mental health outcomes. This study examines the association between exposure to such events online and mental health in a sample of African American and Latinx adolescents. Methods Data were collected from a national sample of 302 African American and Latinx adolescents aged 11-19 years. Participants reported their exposure to traumatic events online (TEO), depressive symptoms, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and other sociodemographics. Multiple regression analyses were conducted. Results Analyses indicated a significant association between TEO and both PTSD symptoms and depressive symptoms, indicating that more frequent experiences of TEO were associated with higher levels of PTSD symptoms and depressive symptoms. In addition, regression analyses further indicated that girls reported higher PTSD and depressive symptoms than boys. Latinx participants also reported increased depressive symptoms. Conclusions This study extends recent research that suggests police killings, as well as viewing distressing news directed at members of one's own racial-ethnic group or those who share the same immigration status, are related to poor mental health outcomes. Researchers should also explore what protective…
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Exposure to traumatic online content on social media showing violence or hateful posts directed at racial minorities contributed to increases in psychological distress, PTSD symptoms, and depression among African American and Latinx adolescents in the United States.
“A recent study found that exposure to traumatic online content on social media showing violence or hateful posts directed at racial minorities contributed to increases in psychological distress, PTSD symptoms, and depression among African American and Latinx adolescents in the United States (Tynes, Willis, Stewart, & Hamilton, 2019).”
From Social Media and Mental Health: Benefits, Risks, and Opportunities for Research and Practice (2020) · cites this paper as Tynes, Willis, Stewart, & Hamilton, 2019
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- Authors
- Tynes, B. M., Willis, H. A., Stewart, A. M., & Hamilton, M. W.
- Affiliations
- University of Southern California (US)
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
- Corresponding author
- Tynes, Brendesha M.
- Venue
- Journal of Adolescent Health
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2019-09
- Volume
- 65
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 371-377
- ISSN
- 1054-139X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2951305493
- Cited by
- 281
- References
- 36
- Citations by year
- 2026: 31 · 2025: 46 · 2024: 43 · 2023: 39 · 2022: 56 · 2021: 45 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 2
- FWCI
- 60.77
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Adolescent Health (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- UNC Libraries
- Funders
- University of Southern California, United States
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Racial and Ethnic Identity Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
- Keywords
- adolescents of color, African American adolescents, Latinx adolescents, police killings, depressive symptoms, posttraumatic stress symptoms, gender differences, immigration status, mental health
- MeSH terms
- Exposure to Violence, Adolescent, Black or African American, Cross-Sectional Studies, Depression, Female, Hispanic or Latino, Humans, Male, Mass Media, Surveys and Questionnaires, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Social Media, Racism
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