Overview

• Researchers analyzed data from 1,584 U.S. participants aged 18–29 in the National Survey of Poly-Victimization and Mental Health.
• Young adults of color had 60% higher odds of reporting one or more psychotic episodes in the past year compared to white respondents.
• Participants who experienced police violence faced 52% greater odds of delusional or hallucinatory symptoms.
• Findings call for expanding the Social Defeat Hypothesis to include structural factors such as systemic racism and state violence.
• Authors suggest that policies addressing social oppression could yield mental health benefits on par with individual-focused interventions.