Internalized racism, or the acceptance of negative societal messages about one’s racial group, is a distinct sociocultural stressor that may undermine attachment processes and increase risk for depression among Black men. This longitudinal study tested a moderated mediation model linking internalized racism to depressive symptoms via attachment insecurity, with parental and romantic partner support as moderators. Data were drawn from the African American Men’s Health Project, which followed 504 rural Black men (ages 19–22 at baseline) across three waves. Path analyses indicated that internalized racism predicted both elevated attachment insecurity and depressive symptoms, independent of racial discrimination. Parental support moderated the association between internalized racism and attachment insecurity such that the indirect effect from internalized racism to depression through attachment insecurity was significant only among men with low parental support. Romantic support did not moderate the model. Findings underscore internalized racism as an independent risk factor for depression and highlight the role of parental support during emerging adulthood.
