Background: Racial-based traumatic stress (RBTS) is a well-documented transdiagnostic risk factor linked to poorer mental and physical health among people of color (POC). RBTS may emerge following a single discriminatory event or develop cumulatively through repeated exposure to racial stressors. Racial microaggressions, subtle and often ambiguous forms of discrimination, are particularly harmful because their repeated occurrence can produce substantial psychological burden over time. Although prior studies have documented bidirectional associations between racial microaggressions and posttraumatic stress symptoms, little research has directly examined whether microaggressions predict RBTS or how individual risk and resilience factors influence this relationship.

Methods: A racially diverse sample of POC (N = 880; Mage = 23.4, SD = 3.24) completed an online cross-sectional survey assessing racial microaggressions, RBTS, psychological distress, coping strategies, and ethnic identity. Structural equation modeling was used to test parallel mediation and moderated mediation models.

Results: Racial microaggressions predicted psychological distress indirectly through both immediate and current RBTS, while the direct effect was nonsignificant, indicating full mediation. Negative coping amplified the association between microaggressions and RBTS, whereas positive coping weakened this link. Affirmed ethnic identity showed context-dependent effects, providing protection when adaptive coping was high and maladaptive coping was low. Conditional indirect effects indicated that trauma-related pathways were strongest under conditions of high negative coping and low positive coping.

Conclusion: Findings suggest that racial microaggressions contribute to psychological distress primarily through trauma-related mechanisms, including immediate trauma responses. Coping strategies and ethnic identity shape these pathways, highlighting the clinical importance of promoting adaptive coping and identity-affirming practices to mitigate the mental health impact of racial stressors.