Emotionality Stigma, Sociocultural Factors, and Health Inequities in Urban Adolescents

Stigmatized views of emotionality form within familial, cultural, and societal contexts and serve as a mechanism impacting youth mental health and substance misuse with notable ties to health equity. Yet critical questions remain regarding the impact of racial identity on emotionality stigma in urban groups and the moderating relationship between race and emotionality stigma on youth mental health and substance misuse. The current study aimed to investigate emotionality stigma as a mechanism of health inequity by exploring the relationships between racial identity, emotionality stigma, and adolescent mental health and substance misuse. Urban adolescents ( n = 85) recruited from a combined mental health and substance use treatment program reported on their stigmatized views of emotionality, mental health, and substance use. Participants primarily identified as multicultural (60.3%) and socioeconomically disadvantaged, with 55.2% requiring transportation assistance and 63.8% being either insured through Medicaid or uninsured. Findings suggest a link between racial identity and emotionality stigma that was associated with attachment ( β = −3.43, p < 0.001) as well as substance misuse type ( β = 5.36, p < 0.001) and polysubstance use ( β = −6.53, p < 0.001) for urban adolescents in combined treatment. This study is the first to provide empirical support for the interconnected role of sociocultural factors and emotionality stigma and calls for systems-level change to address emotionality stigma individually, communally, and socially.