Young Black activists interviewed for the study said they felt distress as a direct result of their actions taken to address racism, of which they have been the victim.
You have probably already heard about the phenomenon of eco-anxiety, which particularly affects young people and which refers to a feeling of powerlessness and deep distress linked to the climate crisis.
But recent research carried out by researchers from the North Carolina State University indicates that a similar psychological malaise also affects many involved in the fight against racism.
And here as well, it seems to mostly affect young people.
“Is there a price associated with fighting racism? And, if so, what sort of toll does it exact?” asked researcher Elan Hope, who directed the study.
“We wanted to get a better understanding of what role engaging in activism can play in contributing to that stress,” she added in a press release.
In an attempt to answer this question, the research team interviewed 443 Black adolescents (ages 14 to 17) and 447 adults (ages 18 to 29).
The questions initially focused on the frequency and nature of the racist discrimination they experienced in their daily lives, as well as the physiological and psychological stress they felt.
The study also took into account the degree of activism of participants. For example, wearing a “Black Lives Matter” T-shirt or more engaging and riskier activities, such as participating in protests.
“For emerging adults, we found that the more racism-related physiological stress participants reported, the more likely they were to engage in high-risk activism, such as participating in protests,” explained Vanessa Volpe, co-author of the study and assistant professor of psychology at North Carolina State University.
Adolescents and young adults also mentioned a relationship between psychological stress related to racism and engagement in low-risk activism, for example, confronting someone who makes a racist joke.
The researchers pointed out the importance of implementing “strategies for supporting anti-racism activism and mitigating anticipatory racism-related stress” that are different whether adolescents or emerging adults are concerned.
“To support youth, it is important to help them process the stress associated with racism and anti-racism activism.
“While young people seek to make changes in their communities, they must also pay attention to how their activism is impacting their own mental and physical health.
“Our findings show that these relationships might be different as people transition from adolescence to young adulthood,” warned Elan Hope.