Ethnic Minority-Majority Status and Mental Health: The Mediating Role of Perceived Discrimination

Abstract

This study examines the role of perceived discrimination as a mediator of the relationship between ethnic minority-majority status and mental health in a sample of college students, of whom 246 were members of an ethnic minority (African American, Latino American, or Asian American) and 167 were European Americans. Ethnic minority students were significantly higher in perceived discrimination and significantly lower in mental health. African Americans were most likely to perceive racial discrimination, followed by Latino Americans, Asian Americans, and European Americans. Asian Americans reported the poorest mental health. Results of mediational analyses by ethnic status (minorities and majority) and across ethnic group pairings (Americans and European Americans, Latino Americans and European Americans, Asian Americans and European Americans) confirmed in every instance that perceived discrimination accounts for a modest part of the relationship between ethnic minority-majority status and mental health. We address the implications for mental health practice on college campuses.

Racial and ethnic minority college students' stigma associated with seeking psychological help: Examining psychocultural correlates.

“…In this study, we hypothesized and investigated similar effects of perceived discrimination on stigma variables across the three groups because discrimination is common in REM people's life (Kessler et al, 1999). Even though African Americans tend to report more discrimination than other REM groups (e.g., Cokley, Hall-Clark, & Hicks, 2011), group mean differences on discrimination do not imply that the direction and magnitude of the prediction of discrimination on stigma variables would be different across REM groups.…”

Community College Students’ Awareness of Risk Factors for Mental Health Problems and Referrals to Facilitative and Debilitative Resources

“…College students from diverse populations who were attending 4-year universities have been found to be at increased risks for mental health issues (Cokley, Hall-Clark, & Hicks, 2011). Future research is needed to investigate the prevalence and severity of MHDs among community college students from diverse populations.…”

Emotional problems among recent immigrants and parenting status: Findings from a national longitudinal study of immigrants in Canada

“…Also, while all immigrants share common stressors, visible minorities have greater difficulty adapting to host societies and report greater feelings of discomfort [20]. They also report greater discrimination [21–23] and lower self-esteem [24]. Notably, financial hardship has been identified as one of the strongest determinants of emotional problems [25, 26].…”