THE ASSOCIATIONS AMONG RACIAL DISCRIMINATION, RACIAL IDENTITY, AND OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE SYMPTOMS

No study to date has explored the link between racial discrimination (RD) and obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms within a sample of African American young adults. Furthermore, no studies have investigated the role of racial identity in protecting young adults against the effects of racial discrimination on OC symptom development and maintenance. This study examined the association between RD and changes in OC symptoms, as well as how racial identity moderates this relationship. Participants were 171 African American college students who completed measures of RD, racial identity, and OC symptom distress. Latent profile analysis revealed three patterns of RI: Black Optimist, Race-Focused, and Humanist. RD frequency at Time 1 was positively associated with OC symptom distress approximately one year later for the Race-Focused racial identity group, but unrelated to OC symptom distress for the Black Optimist and Humanist groups.Master of Art