Lydia HaRim Ahn

Although research has examined associations between experiences of discrimination and disordered eating, less is known about what may explain this link. Thus, the present study examined links between racial trauma, loneliness, and disordered eating among a large sample of racially/ethnically minoritized college students. Participants included 30,377 college students self-identifying as people of color (POC) from the 2022-2023 Healthy Minds Study. Results indicated that racial trauma and loneliness were significant predictors of disordered eating, after controlling for age, gender, and financial stress. In addition, loneliness explained the link between racial trauma and disordered eating. Findings suggest the need for culturally responsive therapeutic services when psychologists are working with racially/ethnically minoritized college students with disordered eating.

This study examined how Asian American clients experience and discuss racism-related events in psychotherapy and how therapist responses shape therapeutic outcomes. Eleven Asian American adults who had discussed at least one racism-related incident in therapy completed semistructured interviews, recounting of the racist incident in therapy and the aftermath of those conversations. Interviews were analyzed using Consensual Qualitative Research and linguistic analysis of emotion-word usage. Participants described a range of direct and vicarious racism experiences, most commonly workplace or school discrimination, verbal or physical assault, and context-specific microaggressions. Clients typically discussed racism during therapy due to emotional arousal and most often when the therapeutic relationship felt sufficiently strong. Clients indicated that their therapists predominantly used validation and affirming strategies, while fewer therapists used cognitive reframes and advice giving. Most clients reported that helpful therapist responses strengthened the therapeutic relationship, facilitated emotional processing, and led to behavioral or cognitive changes, whereas dismissive or minimizing responses undermined trust and reduced willingness to disclose similar experiences. Participants expressed a common desire for more culturally informed exploration and practical in-session strategies for responding to racism. Linguistic analysis indicated evidence of more negative emotions during participant recounting of the discussion. The findings highlight the importance of culturally informed inquiry in therapy when discussing racism-related incidents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Workforce sustainability remains a significant challenge in the construction industry, as evolving demands, shifting demographics, and persistent labor shortages continue to threaten employee retention. Workforce retention is a critical indicator of workforce sustainability. To strengthen retention, it is essential to understand the lived experiences of professionals and the conditions that support or hinder sustained engagement in the sector. However, little is known regarding factors that affect workforce retention among African American professionals in the construction industry. This study investigates African American construction professionals’ perceptions of race-based employment discrimination, including direct and vicarious experiences across field, office, and hybrid work environments, and explores its perceived relevance to retention intentions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with thirty-four African American professionals from diverse locations, occupational roles, and experience levels within the U.S. construction industry. A blended thematic analysis identified three themes describing participants’ reported experiences: (1) Workplace Inequities and Employment Disruption, (2) Professional Expertise Devaluation and Unequal Recognition, and (3) Exclusionary Workplace Conditions and Psychosocial Strain. Findings reveal that participants’ accounts included expressed departure intentions and retrospective reports of project departures and employment changes, including waiting for pay before leaving or obtaining another job. Reduced motivation and feeling undervalued were distinguished from explicitly expressed desires or plans to leave. Moreover, participants reported that lack of recognition for their skills and continued discriminatory practices reduced their sense of value, expressing a reduced willingness to remain on a project or with an employer in connection with these experiences. This study adds to the understanding of factors that affect retention intentions by reporting perceived barriers rooted in race-based employment practices. The study contributes interview evidence from African American construction professionals and interprets their reported experiences using the existing workforce sustainability framework, identifying organizational concerns, and potential responses for further evaluation. Furthermore, the study offers practical implications for enhancing workforce retention and workforce sustainability.

Queer men of color face pervasive experiences of racism, both in their daily lives and in romantic and sexual contexts (i.e., sexual racism), which carry deleterious effects on their psychological and behavioral well-being. Nevertheless, no studies have examined how racial oppression may impact experiences of interpersonal intimacy among this under-researched community. Grounded in the multidimensional racism-related stress model and intersectionality theory, the present study longitudinally investigated the associations between racial discrimination and sexual racism with avoidance of interpersonal intimacy, as well as the moderating role of self-efficacy. Participants included 177 queer men of color, who completed two surveys six months apart. Controlling for baseline avoidance of interpersonal intimacy, racial discrimination and sexual racism at Wave 1 were not directly longitudinally associated with avoidance of interpersonal intimacy at Wave 2. However, we found a significant interaction effect between racial discrimination and self-efficacy at Wave 1 predicting avoidance of interpersonal intimacy at Wave 2, as well as between sexual racism and self-efficacy predicting avoidance of interpersonal intimacy. Specifically, racial discrimination and sexual racism were longitudinally and positively associated with greater avoidance of interpersonal intimacy at high levels of self-efficacy, but not at low levels. The present study’s novel findings underscore the importance of addressing multilayered racism in queer men of color’s lives and considering the nuanced role of self-efficacy in interpersonal intimacy through social justice-informed research, clinical intervention, and prevention efforts.

Asian American women receive unique socialization messages about their race and gender, also known as gendered racial socialization (Ahn et al., 2022). Using an intersectional approach, we developed and validated the Gendered Racial Socialization Scale for Asian American Women. Our sample included 737 Asian American women who completed an online survey. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses suggested a seven-factor scale: filial piety socialization, preparation for bias and empowerment, beauty ideals, racialized dating socialization, traditional gender role socialization, disengagement with discrimination, and purity socialization. Convergent validity was demonstrated through associations with gender and racial socialization. Discriminant validity was established through weak or nonsignificant correlations with impression management. Most subscales were associated with self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and body shame, demonstrating criterion validity. Findings indicate that this scale can be used for researchers, clinicians, and families to better understand the gendered racial messages that Asian American women receive while growing up and their impact on psychological well-being. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Asian immigrant psychologists may encounter unique challenges with leadership development and opportunities due to racial stereotypes, acculturation processes, and culturally bound implicit leadership prototypes, resulting in disproportionate underrepresentation in leadership roles in the United States. The present study explored the success and challenge stories of Asian immigrant psychologists in pursuit of their leadership development. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 self-identified Asian immigrant leaders in the field of psychology. Reflexive thematic analysis yielded five main themes including intercultural and intersectional experiences; cultural dissonance with dominant systems; leadership visibility, viability, and sustainability; transformation through radical healing; and culturally-authentic social justice-oriented leadership. Results demonstrated the process of taking the responsibility to become a change agent and developing value-driven leadership that embraces their heritage cultures. Implications for research, practice, training, and advocacy were discussed.

Objective: Immigration status of undocumented and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) persists as a risk factor for mental health challenges. Thus, the present study examined whether Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) of financial, housing, and food worries were associated with anxiety and depression, and in turn, the perceived need for mental health help among undocumented/DACA college students. Method: Data were collected from U.S. college institutions participating in the Healthy Minds Study during the 2023 to 2024 academic year. Participants: The sample included 153 undocumented/DACA college students (Mage = 24.45; SD = 6.07). Results: The study revealed that financial stress and depressive symptoms were significantly associated with greater perceived need. Additionally, there was a significant indirect effect between financial stress, anxiety, and perceived need. Conclusions: Findings highlight that undocumented/DACA college students who have greater financial stress report more anxiety and, in turn, perceive a greater need for mental health help.

Racial discrimination is a pervasive public health issue among racial/ethnic minorities, especially given its associations with psychological outcomes (Carter et al., 2019; Shi et al., 2022). However, according to Lazarus and Folkman's (1984) stress and coping theory, not all individuals develop mental health issues depending on the ways in which people cope with stressors. Thus, the present study examined whether support as a coping method buffered the link between experiences of racial discrimination and psychological distress. Specifically, we examined multiple forms of support, including social support, the use of psychotherapy, support groups, and self-help books as potential protective factors. Participants included a community sample of racial/ethnic minorities (M_age = 29.08, SD = 10.07), who completed a survey at an Asian community festival in a southwestern state. Results demonstrated that general social support and the use of support groups moderated the association between racial discrimination and distress, whereas the use of self-help books and psychotherapy in the past year did not. Findings highlight the importance of greater support spaces for racial/ethnic minority communities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).