Exposure to direct and intergenerational adversity can negatively affect the mental health (e.g., depressive symptoms) of adolescents. Black adolescents are at particularly heightened risk for experiencing adversity due to systematic exposure to racism-related stress and discrimination
yet most Black youth do not develop mental health problems. Given this context, the current study explored social-ecological protective factors (e.g., internal assets, mother-adolescent communication, community cohesion) that Black adolescents may access to mitigate depressive symptoms. The sample included 141 Black adolescents and their mothers. Adolescents ranged in age from 11 to 17 (M