State of Mental Health for Youth of Color 2022
Presented by The Project
At The AAKOMA Project we recognize that research centered on the mental health of Youth of Color is largely absent, which makes it almost impossible to provide scientifically grounded, culturally relevant, and effective interventions. The purpose of our study is to lay foundational groundwork for a critical analysis of the mental health needs and experiences of intersectional Youth of Color, a too often overlooked population of youth.
Through this first of its kind study, we sought to amplify the mental health experiences and needs of Youth of Color. We examined the impacts of COVID-19 and racial justice; two influences on current youth mental health that helped us illuminate our findings under a timely lens. The impetus for this study dates to my earliest days as an academic over 20 years ago, seeking datasets and information that addressed the needs of our population and finding it difficult to identify comprehensive data.
I'd like to thank our sponsors, partners and donors for their support in this project. And last but definitely not least, I'd like to thank the young participants who were brave enough to help us capture the mental health experiences and needs of their generation.
Dr. Alfiee Breland-Noble
Founder of The AAKOMA Project
What did we find?
State of Anxiety
Anxiety Disorders are mental health disorders characterized by feelings of worry, anxiety, or fear that are strong enough to interfere with one’s daily activities. Examples of anxiety disorders include panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Symptoms include stress that’s out of proportion to the impact of the event, inability to set aside a worry, and restlessness.
Percentage that Experienced Mild to Severe Anxiety
Download ChartAnxiety & Gender Identity: Youth with Moderate to Severe Anxiety
Download ChartKEY FINDINGS:
What were the most common symptoms of anxiety in different groups?
For all Youth of Color in our sample, feeling anxious, worried or nervous was the most common symptom of anxiety but each group showed slightly different additional signs of anxiety as follows:
Black youth: Struggling with decision-making and worrying about bad things happening.
Latino/e youth: Struggling with decision-making.
Asian American Pacific Islander and Native American youth: Avoiding situations they worried about.
State of Depression
Depressive illnesses are mental health disorders characterized by persistently depressed mood or loss of interest in activities, causing significant impairment in daily life. Possible causes include a combination of biological, psychological, and social sources of distress and can include social determinants of health like exposure to racism and discrimination. The persistent feeling of sadness or loss of interest that characterizes depressive illnesses can lead to a range of behavioral and physical symptoms.
Depression Severity in Youth of Color
Download ChartPercentage that Experienced Moderate to Severe Depression
Download Chart
KEY FINDING:
The most common symptoms of depression among all youth were feeling tired or having little energy.
53.3% of Black youth experienced moderate to severe depressive symptoms.
Depression Symptoms Reported by Youth of Color
Download Chart
KEY FINDINGS:
At least half of Youth of Color in this sample reported experiencing moderate to severe depression or anxiety. Some Youth of Color had significantly higher depression and anxiety scores.
Suicide & Self-Harm
26.8% of all youth reported suicidal ideation in the past year. No differences across racial groups
Females are more likely to report suicidal ideation
18% of youth made at least one suicide attempt
Black youth significantly more likely to make a suicide attempt compared to Latino/e, AAPI and Native American youth.
Have you ever cut yourself or self-harmed in some way?
Download ChartKEY FINDINGS:
22.4% of Youth of Color reported engaging in non-suicidal self injury in the past year.
Who seeks treatment?
Psychosocial barriers, such as stigmatized attitudes toward depression treatment, reliance on non-clinical faith-based supports and concerns about the lack of cultural relevance of treatment often play a role in the lack of treatment utilization.
Treatment Use and Engagement
Download ChartKEY FINDINGS:
30% reported needing treatment but hadn't received it
35% of all Youth of Color reported taking medication for mental health. Multiracial youth are significantly more likely to do so.
18% agree that they would have thought less of someone for seeking mental health treatment
Exposure to Racial Trauma
Trauma is defined as our responses to a distressing or disturbing event like military combat, a natural disaster, a car accident, sexual assault or prolonged encounters with racism and discrimination. Therefore, trauma exposure is the act of being confronted with a stressing and disturbing event.
How often have you experienced racial trauma?
Experience of Racial Trauma
Download Chart18.4% of youth reported exposure to racial trauma often or very often in their lifetime
Black
Latino/e
AAPI
Native American
Multiracial
8.7% of youth reported exposure to racial trauma often or very often in the past year from teachers or employers
11.3% of youth reported exposure to racial trauma often or very often in the past year from peers or friends
Black
Latino/e
AAPI
Native American
Multiracial
7.3% of youth reported exposure to racial trauma often or very often in the past year from parents or caregivers
Black
Latino/e
AAPI
Native American
Multiracial
13.2% of youth reported exposure to racial trauma often or very often in the past year from police
Black
Latino/e
AAPI
Native American
Multiracial
17.6% of youth reported exposure to racial trauma often or very often in the past year from watching/reading/exposure to the news. This is known as "vicarious trauma."
Black
Latino/e
AAPI
Native American
Multiracial
KEY FINDING:
42.1% of Youth of Color were exposed to at least one source of racial trauma
Impact of COVID on Youth of Color
The coronavirus pandemic affected our youth in ways that will shape generations to come. We examined this effect in Youth of Color by asking them:
Has someone you cared about had COVID?
COVID Impact
Download ChartYouth Identified Knowing Someone Who Had COVID
Black
Latino/e
AAPI
Native American
Multiracial
Youth Lost Someone They Care About to COVID
Black
Latino/e
AAPI
Native American
Multiracial
KEY FINDING:
22% of Youth of Color had someone they care about die because of COVID
Youth Support and Resilience
In addition to examining symptoms and signs for mental illness, we wanted to also examine where our sample was able to find support, trust and sources of hope. This is what we found.
77.9%
report they have at least one person they feel loves them
74.6%
report they have at least one person they feel loves and trusts them
61.1%
report they are hopeful about the future
77.0%
report they have at least one person they feel they can trust
Conclusion
Key Takeaways from our Inaugural Report
-
It is imperative that The AAKOMA Project replicates and scales this survey in coming years in the form of an annual report.
-
This report speaks to the dire need to ask Youth of Color how they are and what supports they need.
-
This is a first-of-its-kind effort to do a deep dive into gaining a basic understanding of the mental health experiences, needs and supports of Youth of Color.
-
We cannot ignore the impacts of racial trauma on the mental health of Youth of Color.
