Substance Use Among Urban Adolescents of Color : Exploring the Effects of Ethnic Identity, Psychological Empowerment, and Race

Advances in the substance use literature have occurred over the last three decades. However, the research examining drug and alcohol prevention-interventions among urban youth has occurred from a deficit lens, and practitioners have not fully considered how race or ethnicity impact interventions. There is a need in the research to understand the processes and outcomes of substance use among urban youth, particularly those processes that focus on strengths and empowerment among racial-ethnic minority groups. This study investigates the mediating relationship of ethnic identity between community-based perceptions and psychological empowerment and substance use; the mediating impact of psychological empowerment; and the moderating effect of race among Black and Hispanic urban adolescents (N = 1,480). Results from this study support the role of ethnic identity as a mediator, as well as the mediating role of psychological empowerment between ethnic identity and substance use. Implications for policy, practice, theory, and future research are discussed