Interventions for African American Male Youth With Internalizing Symptoms of Depression, Anxiety and Traumatic Stress: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

African American male youth have experienced substantial increases in suicidality and self-harm over the past 15 years, signalling rising rates of internalizing symptoms such as anxiety, depression and traumatic stress. Despite these trends, research involving African American boys and young men has focused disproportionately on externalizing behaviours, leaving clinicians, educators and mental health professionals with limited guidance regarding evidence-based interventions for internalizing concerns. This comprehensive review summarizes and evaluates the existing intervention literature targeting anxiety, depression, and traumatic stress among African American male youth and provides recommendations for diagnosis and treatment. A systematic search of nine databases, including Academic Search Ultimate, CINAHL, ERIC, MEDLINE, PsycARTICLES, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collection, PsycINFO, SocINDEX and Scopus, was conducted from database inception through 15 September 2025. Studies were included if they evaluated interventions targeting internalizing symptoms among African American male youth. Six studies met inclusion criteria from 8693 unique records. All included studies employed quantitative methodologies and used pre-post intervention designs to assess treatment outcomes. Findings suggest that cognitive behavioural therapy and adapted forms of cognitive behavioural interventions may reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression and traumatic stress among African American male youth. However, the small number of eligible studies highlights a significant gap in the intervention literature. Additional culturally responsive intervention research is urgently needed to strengthen the evidence base and improve diagnosis, treatment and mental health service delivery for African American male youth experiencing internalizing symptoms.