A Qualitative Exploration of Parents' Perspectives of the Mental Health Implications of Ethnic-Racial Identity Development in Early Childhood

Background: Mental health disparities continue to exist for BIPOC children compared to white children, in part reflecting continued systemic racism embedded in society (Goodrum et al., 2024). It is well known that ethnic-racial socialization can play a protective role in supporting BIPOC youth mental health (Reynolds & Gonzales-Backen, 2017), particularly bolstering self-esteem (Bracey et al., 2004). However, little is known about how parents of younger children engage in conversations about race with their children and their perceptions of how these conversations impact their child’s self-esteem. This study aligns well with the conference’s mission of centering racial equity in social work research. Objective: Thus, the objective of this qualitative study was to explore 1) How do parents of younger children believe conversations about race contribute to their child’s racial identity development and self-esteem? and 2) How is this different for BIPOC children versus white children? Method: Eligible participants were parents of children ages 3-5. Participants (N=16) were interviewed for 30-60 minutes about their racial socialization practices with their children and their perspectives on the importance of having conversations pertaining to race with their children, as well as the social-emotional implications of these conversations. The coding team consisted of three trained researchers. Interviews were coded using a hybrid approach; first, deductively, in which pre-determined codes were identified using preexisting theory on self-esteem (Fereday & Muir-Cochrane, 2006). The theoretical framework utilized outlines four key influences on self-esteem: 1) emotional, 2) reflective, 3) social, and 4) competence-based (Reitz, 2022). Second, interviews were inductively coded, using thematic content analysis, to explore non-pre-determined themes, as well as observe the occurrence of pre-determined codes (Smith, 1992). Next, all codes were consolidated, and major themes were identified and defined. The coding team met for a final time to confirm saturation of themes. Results: Thematic content analysis revealed the following themes: 1) Self-confidence (e.g., efforts to minimize self-consciousness; expose white privilege/white guilt; encourage racial pride/self-expression), 2) Emotion-focused coping (providing a safe home environment to process; teaching positive affirmations/re-framing thoughts; self-care) 4) Social status (e.g., impact of diverse networks on sense of belonging; developing cultural sensitivity to inform relationships/social support; discouraging social comparison), and 5) Sense of self (e.g., how conversations on racial identity foster self-reflection and meaning-making; preserving independence in decision-making). Parents of BIPOC children emphasized how racial discrimination impacted factors related to self-esteem, while parents of white children largely discussed opportunities to indirectly cultivate greater self-esteem through social connections fostered by exposure to diversity. Conclusion: Parents identified various ways in which conversations regarding racial socialization contributed to the four key components of the applied theoretical framework on self-esteem. How parents talked about these components differed for parents of BIPOC children versus white children. Findings have implications for informing how parents determine when and how to have conversations regarding race with their children. However, more research is needed, on a larger scale, to determine specific guidelines regarding optimal times to initiate these conversations and tips on how to approach them to optimize children’s self-esteem.