Caught In the Crossfire: Racism-Based Police Violence and Its Influence on Mental Health Help-Seeking Among Black and Hispanic Emerging Adults

Background: Racism-based police violence (RPV) is increasingly recognized as a structural determinant of mental health inequities among Black and Hispanic emerging adults. While prior research links RPV exposure to psychological distress, little is known about how it shapes mental health help-seeking behaviors. Grounded in Race-Based Traumatic Stress Theory and Andersen’s Behavioral Model of Health Services Use, this study examines whether psychological distress mediates the relationship between distinct forms of RPV exposure (victimization, in-person witnessing, and media exposure) and three domains of help-seeking: perceived need for services, use of professional providers, and reliance on non-professional support.

Methods: Cross-sectional survey data were collected nationally between August and October 2023 using a Qualtrics panel (N = 878 Black and Hispanic adults ages 18–29). Measures included validated scales of RPV exposure, psychological distress (K10), everyday discrimination, and three binary help-seeking outcomes. Linear and logistic regression models tested mediation pathways using 1,000 bootstrap simulations while adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and non–police-related discrimination.

Results: RPV exposure—particularly media-based exposure—was significantly associated with elevated psychological distress. Psychological distress consistently mediated associations between all RPV exposure domains and help-seeking behaviors. Greater RPV exposure was associated with higher distress, which in turn predicted lower perceived need for services and reduced use of professional mental health providers, but increased reliance on non-professional supports (e.g., family, friends, faith leaders). Mediation effects were strongest for RPV-Media exposure. Direct effects were attenuated when distress was included, indicating psychological distress as a central mechanism linking RPV exposure to patterns of service engagement and disengagement.

Conclusions and Implications: This study demonstrates that racism-based police violence shapes mental health help-seeking patterns among Black and Hispanic emerging adults through its impact on psychological distress. Elevated distress following RPV exposure was associated with reduced perceived need for services and lower engagement with professional mental health providers, alongside greater reliance on informal support networks.

These findings suggest that structural exposure to racialized policing influences not only psychological burden but also patterns of service utilization during a critical developmental period. By integrating race-based traumatic stress theory with health services utilization frameworks, this study advances rigorous inquiry into how structural racism shapes pathways to care.

Social work research at the service of democracy requires attention to equitable access to public health systems. When populations disproportionately exposed to structural harm engage professional services at lower rates despite elevated distress, disparities in care may widen. Findings support the need for culturally responsive, trauma-informed outreach strategies that strengthen connections between marginalized emerging adults and professional mental health services while recognizing the protective role of informal support networks. Strengthening equitable engagement in care contributes to broader efforts to promote fairness and well-being across communities.