304 - Racial Justice Activism and Adolescent Mental Health: Characterizing Coping Strategies

Poster Number: 304
Publication Number: 304.1768

Background: Adolescent members of Gen-Z, labeled “the activist generation,” have shown high levels of engagement in racial justice activism (RJA) over recent years. RJA involves interpersonal, collective, and online actions that can promote societal change, but may also have intrapersonal implications for adolescent activists, including positive and negative mental health outcomes. Thus, the coping strategies (CS) adolescent activists use to address negative mental health symptoms must be further explored.

Objective: We identify the CS that adolescent activists use, and examine avoidant coping, a maladaptive CS, as a moderator between RJA and depression.

Design/Methods: We conducted an online survey of US-based adolescents (N=115) aged 13-18 on RJA and health between March and June 2022. Participants were primarily recruited via social media. RJA engagement was measured by activity count and CS were measured using the Adolescent-Coping Orientation for Problem Experiences scale. Depressive symptoms were measured with the PHQ-2.

Using median split we characterized high/low RJA engagement (high>3, low≤3) and the frequency of CS use. We used negative binomial regression to examine the associations between RJA and CS and RJA and depression. Then added an interaction term to the model to test avoidant coping as a moderator.

Results: Adolescents with high RJA engagement reported using the following CS more frequently than their peers: ventilating feelings, developing social support, solving family problems, avoidant coping, engaging in demanding activity, and relaxing. Developing social support (p=0.036) and engaging in demanding activity i.e., school and exercise (p=0.005), were significantly associated with increased RJA engagement.

In the interaction model, RJA was associated with lower depression scores; with each additional RJA activity associated with -0.62 lower PHQ-2 score (p=0.030). Avoidant coping moderated the association between RJA and depressive symptoms (Figure 1); for every 1-standard deviation increase in avoidant coping score, the protective association between RJA and depression decreased by 17.34% (p=0.017).

Conclusion(s): Among adolescents, high RJA engagement is associated with unique coping strategies including development of social support and participation in demanding activities. Avoidant coping strategies may diminish the protective effect of RJA against depression among activist youth. Future investigation of RJA as an avenue for improving personal and community health must address activists' coping strategies to mitigate negative mental health outcomes.