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Description

Racial trauma refers to post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms from repeated exposure to racism and racial discrimination, generally expressed as hypervigilance and lack of safety, negative cognitions causing bleak perceptions of oneself and the world, and difficulty coping through reduced ability to manage distress. Literature shows that BIPOC students encounter racism on university campuses more frequently than non-BIPOC students, suggesting they are more vulnerable to racial trauma. Racial trauma has been linked to negative mental health outcomes; however, little is known about its impact on educational outcomes. Academic belonging, self-efficacy, and persistence are key educational factors tied to academic performance and retention. This study examined whether components of racial trauma–lack of safety, negative cognitions, and difficulty coping–predict these educational factors among BIPOC students. Structural equation modeling was used to test direct and indirect pathways between the racial trauma components and educational factors, with perceived stress being investigated as a mediator in the relationship. Findings suggest that negative cognitions and difficulty coping are significant predictors of increased stress. Stress significantly predicted decreased academic belonging and self-efficacy, excluding persistence. No direct association between lack of safety and stress was found, and no significant indirect effects were found between lack of safety and educational factors. Interpreted through Stress and Coping Theory and Minority Stress Theory, these findings suggest that by overburdening students’ ability to cope through persistent race-based stressors, racial trauma hinders belonging and efficacy. In response, higher-education institutions should implement interventions addressing racial trauma to tackle poorer educational outcomes due to overwhelming stress.

Publisher Location

Las Vegas (Nev.)

Publication Date

Fall 11-21-2025

Publisher

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Keywords

Racial Trauma; BIPOC college students; educational factors; structural equation modeling; belonging

Disciplines

Psychology | Social and Behavioral Sciences

File Format

PDF

File Size

1000 KB

Permissions

Google Drive\Institutional Repository\OUR_OfficeOfUGResearch\Symposia\2025 Fall Symposium

Comments

Mentor: Gloria Wong-Padoongpatt

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Structural Equation Modeling of Educational Factors Associated With Racial Trauma: Belonging, Efficacy, and Persistence Among BIPOC College Students


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