This study examined the relationship between racial microaggressions (subtle and unintentional forms of racial discrimination) and mental health. Results from a large sample (N = 506) indicated that higher frequencies of racial microaggressions negatively predicted participants' mental health and that racial microaggressions were significantly correlated with depressive symptoms and negative affect. Differences in the types of microaggressions experienced by various racial groups (Asian, Latina/o, Black, White, and multiracial) and counseling implications are discussed.

Racial microaggressions are subtle (often unintentional or unconscious) forms of racial discrimination that negatively affect victims’ mental health. Utilizing an undergraduate student sample (N = 225), the current study examined the relationship between racial microaggressions and self-esteem. Results indicate that racial microaggressions negatively predict a lower self-esteem, and that microaggressions that occur in educational and workplace environments are particularly harmful to self-esteem. Finally, findings reveal that individuals of various racial and ethnic minority groups experience racial microaggressions differently. Implications for student development and recommendations for further research involving racial microaggressions and college students are discussed.

Racial microaggressions are subtle forms of discrimination that have been found to have negative effects on the mental health of people of color. Due to the dearth of quantitative research that has examined the influence of racial microaggressions on Asian Americans, we recruited an Asian American sample (N = 157) for the current study to investigate the relationship between racial microaggressions with depression and other mental health symptoms. Recruited from both community and college populations, the sample consisted of 107 Asian American women and 50 men, with varying educational backgrounds, immigration statuses, and geographic locations in the U.S. Using the Racial and Ethnic Microaggressions Scales (REMS; Nadal, 2011b) and the Mental Health Inventory (MHI; McHorney, Ware, Rogers, Raczek, & Lu, 1992), there were 2 major findings. First, after controlling for education, hierarchical regression analyses indicated that racial microaggressions predicted general mental health problems: F(2, 91) = 11.37, p <.00, with the model explaining approximately 20% of the variance (R2 = .20, adjusted R2 = .09). Second, although comparative t tests did not yield significant differences based on gender or immigration status, t tests did reveal that Asian Americans experience various types of microaggression, based on geographic location, education, and age. Research implications for Asian American psychology and recommendations for clinical practice will be discussed.