Racial trauma and substance use in college students: Experiential avoidance and ethnic identity

Objective: This study explored the link between racial trauma and substance use (alcohol and drug use) among racially and ethnically minoritized college students, with a focus on two key psychological factors: experiential avoidance as a risk factor and ethnic identity as a protective factor. Participants: Racially and ethnically minoritized college students. Methods: We examined the mediating role of experiential avoidance and the moderating role of ethnic identity in the association between racial trauma and substance use. Results: Results showed that higher levels of racial trauma were associated with greater experiential avoidance and increased substance use. Experiential avoidance mediated the relationship between racial trauma and alcohol use but not drug use. Also, ethnic identity moderated this pathway: students with a stronger sense of ethnic identity were less likely to engage in experiential avoidance in response to racial trauma, which in turn reduced their likelihood of using alcohol as a coping strategy. Conclusions: These findings suggest that promoting ethnic identity development and addressing experiential avoidance may be effective components of culturally responsive substance use prevention and intervention programs on college campuses.