“Take a Mental Break”: Examining the Coping Efforts of Black College Students Exposed to Police Killings

Given the repeated police killings of unarmed Black people and their increasing visibility because of recent technological advances, Black people are especially vulnerable to adverse mental health effects. However, little is known about how they attempt to cope with these incidents or how their efforts may affect their mental health. Informed by trauma theory and stress, appraisal, and coping theory, this study used semi-structured in-depth interviews with 30 Black male and female undergraduate college students (aged 18–28) exposed to police killings of other unarmed Black people to examine their coping efforts and the impact on their mental health. Students were recruited from four historically Black colleges and universities in South Carolina. Grounded theory analysis identified several emotion-focused coping and problem-focused coping employed by Black college students to cope with repeated police killings. Furthermore, findings suggest that proactive planning for police killings, at both individual and personal network levels, buffers students against the negative mental impacts of these events. Research and practice implications suggest the need for future studies to identify and develop culturally specific interventions that support effective coping skills to mitigate adverse health outcomes for Black people in the aftermath of police killings.