Abstract
Negative inferential style is a cognitive vulnerability for depression. Yet, few studies have explored how this risk factor intersects with culturally-specific protective factors, such as racial identity, in a unified cognitive risk-cultural asset model in youth of color. The current study addressed this gap by exploring the interplay between negative inferential style, racial identity, and depressive symptoms in an urban African-American adolescent community sample (N = 233; 51.9% female). Cross-lagged panel analyses estimated concurrent and prospective relationships between study variables. Racial identity dimensions of regard, but not centrality, were significant predictors of inferential style, and buffered against the development of depressive symptoms via the development of a less negative inferential style. Implications for the study of racial identity and cognition, and treatment of African–American adolescents are discussed.
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Funding
This research was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health Grants MH101168 and MH079369 to Lauren B. Alloy.
Data Sharing and DeclarationDatasets created and analyzed during the current study are not publically available, but may be made available by the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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AAG generated hypotheses, created the database, assisted in data analysis, and drafted the manuscript; NMG assisted in generation of hypotheses, ran and interpreted the analyses, and assisted in drafting the manuscript; AS assisted in generation of hypotheses, assisted in data analysis, and assisted in drafting the manuscript; LYA provided feedback on the manuscript; LBA designed the original study and wrote the grants that funded the study, assisted in conceptualization of the current study, and provided feedback on all manuscript drafts. All authors have read and approved of the final manuscript.
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The study protocol was approved by the Temple University Institutional Review Board (IRB protocol #6844).
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Graham, A.A., Mac Giollabhui, N., Stumper, A. et al. Negative Inferential Style Mediates the Association between Racial Identity and Depressive Symptoms among African American Adolescents. J Youth Adolescence 50, 1726–1737 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-021-01452-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-021-01452-w