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Graduation Term
Spring 2025
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Department of Psychology
Committee Chair
Brea Banks
Committee Member
Caitlin Mercier
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of exposure to microaggressions on the mental health (i.e., depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms) and self-esteem of Black college students enrolled at a historically white institution (HWI). Additionally, social support was examined as a moderator variable on the relation between exposure to microaggressions and mental health and self-esteem. The demand for the current study originates from the lack of psychological research highlighting the microaggressive experiences of Black men. Furthermore, despite the underrepresentation of Black men in research studies, Black men attending HWIs face significant mental health challenges, highlighting the necessity studies with practical application (Palmer & McMickens, 2024). Although the current literature on microaggressions suggest that microaggressive events contribute the decline in mental health and produce adverse effects, the overall results of this study indicated that exposure to microaggressions were not sufficient to predict mental health outcomes, and multiple factors of social support did not moderate the relation between exposure to microaggressions and mental health outcomes. However, the emotional support factor surfaced as a significant moderator for self-esteem. Future direction and implications of this study are discussed.
Access Type
Thesis-ISU Access Only
Recommended Citation
Harris, Erik, "The Moderating Role of Emotional Support on the Relation between Racial Microaggressions, Mental Health, and Self-Esteem for Black Men" (2025). Theses and Dissertations. 2055.
https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/etd/2055
