The Association between Racial Socialization and Depression: Testing Direct and Buffering Associations in a Longitudinal Cohort of African American Young Adults

The authors use a profile analysis strategy to identify five composite types of racial socialization practices or ‘‘racial socialization meta-messages.’ ’ The authors assess the association between racial socialization meta-messages received during late adolescence and depressive symptoms in young adulthood. They find that a guarded racial socialization meta-message (one that combines warnings about discrimination with direction to be wary and cautious when dealing with majority group members) is associated with elevated depressive symptoms when respondents are between the ages of 20 and 22 years. The authors also find that an empowered racial socialization meta-message (one that combines warnings about dis-crimination with strategies for overcoming racial prejudice) partially buffers respondents against the men-tal health consequences of racial discrimination. Keywords racial socialization, discrimination, depressive symptoms Over the past 20 years, research has established that racial discrimination is an important risk factor for the mental health of racial minorities (Gibbons et al. 2004; Hammack 2003; Mossakowski 2003; Noh et al. 1999). Given the long history of racial inequality in America, as well as its relative intractability, mental health re-searchers have begun investigating resources that may help minority group members cope with the psychological and emotional consequences of dis-crimination. One of these resources is ‘‘racial socialization,’ ’ a relatively broad term used to refer to a constellation of messages, practices, and objects that prepare young people to survive and thrive as members of minority group