Racial Justice Activism, Advocacy Found to Reduce Depression and Anxiety in Some Teens

Results of mental health intervention presented during the American Academy of Pediatrics 2024 National Conference & Exhibition 

ORLANDO, Fla.—Black and LatinX teenagers enrolled in an 8-week racial justice activism program reported fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety, according to research presented during the American Academy of Pediatrics 2024 National Conference & Exhibition in Orlando, FL.

The research, “Our Voices Matter Pilot Study: A Racial Justice Activism Intervention to Reduce Depression in Adolescents,” will be presented during the conference at the Orange County Convention Center Sept. 27-Oct. 1. 

The study followed seven Black and LatinX teens who engaged in 90-minute virtual sessions and learned about activism and social change through a critical examination of race and racism from February to April 2023. Participants reported a 38% reduction in reported depressive symptoms after four sessions and a 45% reduction by the end of the intervention.

“This research is groundbreaking because it demonstrates the transformative power that activism could have on the mental health of Black and Latinx youth,” said Billie Patterson, a UQ Ochsner medical student with the with the ARISE Health Lab. “The potential to harness advocacy efforts as a therapeutic tool is an exciting frontier for both health promotion and social justice.”

The authors observe that the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor ignited protests that drew over 15 million participants, underscoring activism as a unified response against racism. Structural racism and discrimination are well known contributors to chronic stress and health disparities, including conditions such as metabolic syndrome, obesity, and diabetes.

The teens focused their efforts on the school-to-prison pipeline, delving into national and local contexts using primary sources. They devised social media campaigns raising awareness and prompting action concerning inadequate mental health resources in schools and the racial disparities present in school disciplinary procedures.

Participants completed baseline, mid-point, and post-intervention measures of depression and measures about intervention acceptability and adherence.

“The activism intervention we piloted resulted in clinically meaningful reductions in depressive symptoms and we observed an upward trend in measures of resilience,” said Nia Heard-Garris, MD, MBA, MSc, FAAP, lead researcher and pediatrician at Lurie Children’s and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

“We learned that teens loved having a safe space and learning how to help their community.,” Dr. Heard Garris said. “We also were excited to see that these teens continued to engage with advocacy long after the end of the pilot study.”

Media Contact: Dr. Nia Heard-Garris at [email protected]

Study author Billie Patterson is scheduled to present the research, which is below, from Sunday, September 29, 2024, 4:30-5:30 pm at the Hyatt Regency Orlando, Plaza International Ballroom.

In addition, Billie Patterson will be among highlighted abstract authors who will give brief presentations and be available for interviews during a press conference from noon-1:30 pm ET in the National Conference Press Room, W208 AB. During the meeting, you may reach AAP media relations staff at 407-685-5401.

Please note: only the abstract is being presented at the meeting. In some cases, the researcher may have more data available to share with media, or may be preparing a longer article for submission to a journal.  

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. For more information, visit www.aap.org. Reporters can access the meeting program and other relevant meeting information through the AAP meeting website at http://www.aapexperience.org/

Abstract

Program Name: 2024 AAP National Conference-Abstracts

Submission Type: Section on Minority Health, Equity & Inclusion

Abstract Title: Our Voices Matter Pilot Study: A Racial Justice Activism Intervention to Reduce Depression in Adolescents

Billie Patterson

Westville, IN, United States

The murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor ignited protests that drew over 15 million participants, underscoring activism as a unified response against racism. Black and Latinx youths experience adverse mental health impacts due to racism and may engage in racial justice activism (RJA) to mitigate these effects. RJA encompasses efforts to combat racial injustice through political, communal, and interpersonal means. Limited research has explored RJA's potential as a beneficial coping mechanism for the mental well-being of Black and Latinx adolescents. The RJA Our Voices Matter pilot study aims to fill this gap by evaluating the impact of this intervention on adolescents’ depression and anxiety.

The RJA intervention was piloted February-April 2023, with 7 Black and Latinx adolescents in Chicago, IL (Mage = 16, SD = 1.3). Across 8 weeks, the group engaged in 90-minute virtual sessions. Participants learned about activism and social change through a critical examination of race and racism. The adolescents elected to concentrate their activism efforts on the school-to-prison pipeline, delving into national and local contexts using primary sources. They then devised social media campaigns raising awareness and prompting action concerning inadequate mental health resources in schools and the racial disparities present in school disciplinary procedures. Participants completed baseline, mid-point, and post-intervention measures of depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), anxiety (General Anxiety Disorder-7) and measures about intervention acceptability and adherence.

Using Wilcoxon non-parametric signed-rank test, we found a statistically significant decrease in depressive symptoms from week 1 (M = 11.3) to week 8 (M = 6.2; z = -2.21, p = .03, r = -0.64). Participants had a 38% reduction in depressive symptoms by week 4, and a 45% reduction by week 8. The five-point reduction from week 1 to week 8 met the minimum clinically important difference, moving the average from moderate to mild depressive symptoms. Additionally, participants reported a reduction in anxiety symptoms from week 1 (M = 11.3) to week 8 (M = 7; z = -1.63, p = 0.1, r = -0.47), although it was not statistically significant. On a Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree), participants reported that sessions were helpful (M = 5.83), and an appropriate length (M = 5.67). The attendance rate was 71%-100%, with absence due to school and civic engagement activities.

The Our Voices Matter RJA intervention produced both a statistically significant and clinically meaningful reduction in depressive symptoms for Black and Latinx adolescents. Despite the adverse effects of racism on adolescent mental health, this study has demonstrated racial justice activism can serve as an adaptive coping strategy to enhance wellbeing. In the future, RJA must be examined as a health-promotion strategy to address the mental health burden that Black and Latinx adolescents face.

Our Voices Matter Racial Justice Activism Intervention Curriculum 

Depression During Our Voices Matter Intervention