Abstract
Internalized racism represents a critical component of the system of racial oppression wherein People of Color adopt the negative beliefs about their race held by members of the White majority group. In this meta-analysis, the authors reviewed 29 studies (32 effect sizes) on the relationships between internalized racism and negative physical and mental health outcomes published between 1999 and 2015 and tested for literature-driven moderator effects using subgroup analyses. Results suggested that the direct overall relation between internalized racism and health was strongest for negative mental health outcomes (r = .26), followed by negative physical health outcomes (r = .11). Significant moderator effects were found for scale of measurement, country of sample (United States vs. international), and sampling method. Moderator effects of gender, publication type, year, and sample setting were not statistically significant. These findings are discussed and their implications for practice, advocacy, education/training, and research are described.
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