Longitudinal Investigation of Racial Minorities’ Experience of the Impact of Childhood Trauma

• In Event: Constructing Racially Just Educational Experiences: Problems and Solutions From Adolescence to Emerging Adulthood

Abstract

1. Purpose
The purpose of study was to examine the impact of family dynamics, accessibility to health services, and social support on the trajectories of emotional distress among individuals who experienced child maltreatment during the periods from adolescence to the emerging adulthood. In addition, it analyzed whether the effect on the individuals’ experiences might differ as a function of race, gender, and socioeconomic status (SES).

2. Theorical framework
Emerging research studies have shed light on the inequity among trauma survivors, but they have largely discounted interconnections between race, gender, SES, and trauma experiences. We apply the intersectionality theory to understand the demographic categories and social categories (e.g., social support) intertwined with the impact of trauma experience.

3. Method
For the purpose of this study, we included race/ethnicity, childhood socioeconomic status, family dynamics, accessibility to health services, and social support as independent variables; age, education, and gender as control variables; emotional distress from Wave I to Wave IV as dependent variables. All the analysis were conducted using Mplus. To determine whether and how disparities in emotional distress varied by race/ethnicity over time, growth curve modeling was conducted.

4. Data source
This study analyzed the public dataset from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), a nationally representative longitudinal study on adolescent health and risk behaviors (Harris et al., 2011). Beginning with an in-school questionnaire administered to a nationally representative sample of students in grades 7-12, the study followed up with a series of in-home interviews conducted in 1995 (Wave I), 1996 (Wave II), 2001-02 (Wave III), 2008 (Wave IV), and 2016-18 (Wave V).

Our sample consisted of N= 6,504 participants from Add Health study, including n = 3,455 (53.12%) participants from Wave III and Wave IV who reported a history of child maltreatment including physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and/or neglect, and n = 2,296 (35.30%) who did not report a history of child maltreatment.

5. Results
Our results demonstrated that Black/African American participants had a higher rate of child maltreatment experience (n = 827, 14.4%), compared to Hispanic (n = 405, 7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (n = 133, 2.3%). Among all the child maltreatment experiences, emotional abuse was the most prevalent (36.4%). Additionally, child maltreatment experience was related to an even greater emotional distress over time among all the racial groups, while social support was related to a decrease in their emotional distress for only Black group.

6. Scientific significance
The present study provides evidence of disparities in accessibility to health services, social support and family cohesion among racial/ethnic minority groups The findings also offer insights into the importance for trauma-informed care, especially for the racial/ethnic minority group. Systemic collaboration among community members is urgently needed to reveal hidden racism, reduce barriers to access health and social care, and extend social support.

Reference

Harris, K. M., Halpern, C. T., Whitsel, E., Hussey, J., Tabor, J., Entzel, P., & Udry, J. R. (2011). The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health: Research Design.http://www.cpc.unc.edu/projects/addhealth/design

Authors

• Fei Shen, Kean University

• Ranran Mi, Kean University

• Jennifer J. Chen, Kean University