Resumo:
Abstract
The way young black men and women perceive racial microaggressions in the brazilian context marks their life experience and its repercussions in their development context, in their relationships and their perception of themselves. This study aims to investigate the relationship between racial microaggressions and the mental health of young black men and women, accessing and evaluating the experience of exposure to daily racial microaggressions on young black men and women, accessing possible mechanisms of validation and coping with exposure to racial microaggressions. This mixed study in its quantitative analysis showed higher stress levels due to the frequency and discomfort from racial microaggressions. Anxiety and depression showed statistically significant levels for the frequency of microaggressions. For qualitative analysis based on thematic analysis, the themes were presented as: 1-Experiences of exposure to racial microaggressions, 2- Repercussions of racial microaggressions in development contexts, 3- Construction of resources and management strategies facing racial microaggressions. The results of both analyses indicate a relationship between the violence of racial microaggressions on mental health and in levels of stress, anxiety and depression, due to constant exposure to racial microaggressions in their developmental contexts, proving to be a crucial agent in decision-making for the construction of their strategies and direction of their immediate actions and in the subsequent repercussions in the face of racial violence. Racial microaggressions are perceived by black youth as a negative agent for their mental and physical health, impacting directly on their daily lives, in a continuous process of dehumanization, which even hider the construction of active coping strategies by young black people. In conclusion, for the mental health security of young black people, strategies to face racism must ensure that young black people who suffer from racial violence are listened to, validated, and receive social support.
Keywords: Racial Microaggression; Youth; Racism; Daily life, Mental health
