Exploring the associations between internalized racial oppression, emotional eating, and mental health symptoms among Black young adult women.

OBJECTIVES: We tested the cross-sectional association between internalized racial oppression and (a) depression symptoms and (b) anxiety symptoms among Black young adult women, as well as the moderating role of emotional eating in these associations. We hypothesized that (a) more internalized racial oppression would be associated with worse depression and anxiety symptoms and (b) greater engagement in emotional eating would exacerbate the association between internalized racial oppression and depression and anxiety symptoms. METHOD: = 4.89; 98.4% cisgender) completed an online survey. RESULTS: More internalized racial oppression was associated with worse depression and anxiety symptoms. Engaging in emotional eating did not significantly moderate either direct association. However, more engagement in emotional eating was directly associated with worse depression and anxiety symptoms. CONCLUSION: Findings provide cross-sectional evidence of the mental health implications of internalized racial oppression. Emotional eating may not worsen mental health symptoms when Black women are faced with internalized racial oppression. Behavioral interventionists may consider this initial evidence in addressing sociocultural and behavioral risk factors for mental health and find ways to target different factors simultaneously. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).