Discrimination by whom? : Unraveling the effect of experiences of discrimination on depression of multi-ethnic children and adolescents in Korea

Perceived Discrimination as a Critical Factor Affecting Self-Esteem, Satisfaction with Physical Appearance and Depression of Racial/Ethnic Minority Adolescents in Korea

“…A damaged self-concept including self-esteem increases the likelihood of experiencing depression. Kim and Won’s recent study [ 3 ] on racial/ethnic minority children and adolescents in Korea, provides supporting empirical evidence as they reported significant relationships among perceived racial/ethnic discrimination, self-esteem, and mental health outcome.…”

“…For racial/ethnic minority adolescents, perceived discrimination functions as a chronic stressor and a major risk factor, making them more vulnerable to depression [ 12 , 13 , 14 ]. Empirical studies testing the association between perceived discrimination and depression are in abundance, all point to a similar finding, which is that discrimination, indeed, significantly predicts adolescents’ mental health problems [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ]. Benner et al [ 5 ]’s recent work, a meta-analysis of 214 publications on adolescents and racism, attests to the finding.…”

“…With a relatively shorter history of immigrant influx and a rise of socially alarming incidents involving hate crimes and discrimination against their immigrant population, Korean society has undertaken nation-wide projects specifically targeting Korean nationals to increase and improve tolerance, acceptance, and celebration of cultural, racial, and ethnic diversity [ 2 ]. This has been an important task for Korean society as many racial/ethnic minority children, adolescents, and adults are reported to be constant victims of harassment and discriminatory actions on an everyday basis [ 3 , 4 ].…”

“…Self-esteem is an important part of the self-concept that often functions as a protective resource for adolescents, buffering the effect of various stressors on their lives [ 19 , 20 ]. Having a healthy regard for oneself is important for adolescents’ growth and is often identified as a strong predictor of adolescents’ depression [ 3 , 14 , 19 , 20 ]. However, self-esteem can be volatile and can be significantly affected by events, stressors, and/or circumstances [ 21 , 22 ].…”

“…However, self-esteem can be volatile and can be significantly affected by events, stressors, and/or circumstances [ 21 , 22 ]. For ethnic minority adolescents, one of the major risk factors in developing a healthy self-concept is their perceived discrimination [ 3 , 20 , 23 ]. Continuous negative perceptions and feedback they receive from others leads the ethnic minority adolescents to internalize such perception, stereotypes, and biases, resulting in the formation of poor self-concept [ 20 , 23 ].…”