Examination of a Mindfulness- and Acceptance-Based Health Promotion Program on Momentary Experiences of Racism and Mental Health Outcomes

University Of Massachusetts Boston, Dorchester MA

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract Racism and racism-related stress have been shown to be associated with negative mental health outcomes among people of color (POC), such as low self-esteem, increased depressive symptoms, and increased symptoms of anxiety. Further, approximately up to 98% of all POC report experiencing a racist experience over the past year and in their lifetime, indicating that racism-related stress is a chronic experience. Most research on coping with racism has evaluated the cross-sectional impact of racism and mental health, and identified strategies that POC may use. However, research has not identified which strategies may be most effective as buffers against the psychological impact of racism. Further, little research has evaluated the effects of racism-related stress-based health promotion programs that specifically target experiences of discrimination. This project aims to address two major gaps in the coping with racism research. First, we aim to evaluate the impact of a brief, single-session, 1-hour mindfulness- and acceptance-based health promotion program aimed at promoting empowerment and addressing strategies for coping with racism compared to a waitlist-control condition. Second, we aim to evaluate whether flexible use of coping strategies in response to racism-related stress is an effective buffer against depressive and anxious symptoms. All participants will be asked to complete an online screening questionnaire, which will include informed consent, demographic questionnaires, past experiences of discrimination, and trait measures of coping. Participants will be randomized into a.) a health promotion program or b.) a waitlist control condition. Participants in the health promotion condition will watch a scripted mindfulness- and acceptance-based psychoeducation video during an initial laboratory session; in contrast, participants in the waitlist control condition will watch the video in a second session (after two weeks of monitoring). All participants will watch a scripted video with instructions on using the Qualtrics cellphone application during the initial session for repeated momentary assessments. Following this session, all participants will monitor their experiences of discrimination over two weeks, and report their mood and strategies used. They will then return to the lab and complete a final battery of questionnaires and a qualitative exit-interview.