Perceived Racial Discrimination and Mental Health in Diverse Groups of Asian Americans: The Differing Impacts by Age, Education, and Ethnicity

The Association Between Perceived Discrimination, Age and Proportion of Lifetime in the United States Among Somali Immigrants: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Discrimination is detrimental to health. Little is known about perceived discrimination among Somali immigrants. We examined whether age or proportion of lifetime in the United States was associated with perceived discrimination among Somali immigrants. Guided by Intersectionality, we described a secondary analysis of Everyday Discrimination Scale (EDS) survey data from the Healthy Immigrant Community study. Younger participants ( ≤40 years) experienced more discrimination than older participants ( >40 years). Higher education, being male, and earning $20,000-$39,999 was associated with more perceived discrimination. These findings suggest that Somali immigrants who are younger, more formally educated, male, and/or earn $20,000-$39,000 report more discrimination than their counterparts. Possible explanations include exposure to discrimination outside the Somali community or more awareness about racism. Alternatively, the EDS may not capture the discrimination experienced by Somali women or older adults. Further research is needed to address the discrimination experienced by Somali immigrants. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT05136339, November 29,2021.

Racism, self-rated general health status, and health-related quality of life among Black and Asian Americans

Race is a consequential sociocultural cue in healthcare contexts. Racism is associated with health disparities. Extant research shows significant health inequities between white and Black people. However, little is known about health gaps between or among other racial groups. This study investigated how Blacks and Asian Americans perceive and experience racism in healthcare settings and in general daily life situations, and how these factors relate to their self-rated general health status and health-related quality of life. Findings from an online survey suggest strong similarities and subtle differences between the two racial groups and within the Asian subgroups.

Mental Health of Asian American Caregivers of Family Members With Severe Mental Illness

Within the general population, caregivers of individuals with severe mental illness experience considerable mental health burdens. Less is known about these burdens among Asian Americans, who frequently serve as primary caregivers of family members in accordance with cultural values of familism and interdependence. Asian American caregivers experience severe stigma regarding mental health issues as well as other barriers to care, often resulting in decreased help-seeking behaviors and poorer mental health. Given a paucity of research, the authors systematically reviewed the literature on mental health outcomes among Asian American caregivers. This column offers policy and practice suggestions for supporting the mental health of Asian American families affected by severe mental illness.

Perceived racial discrimination and mental distress in older Korean Americans: the moderating role of ethnic resources

OBJECTIVES

To examine associations among perceived racial discrimination, ethnic resources, and mental distress in older Korean Americans. Ethnic resources included ethnic identity (how closely individuals identify themselves with other members of the same ethnic background) and sense of community (individuals' feelings of belonging to their ethnic group). We examined the direct effect of perceived racial discrimination and these ethnic resources, as well as their interactions, hypothesizing that mental distress associated with perceived racial discrimination would be reduced by ethnic resources.

DESIGN

Using survey data from the Study of Older Korean Americans (N = 2,150), linear regression models of mental distress were examined for direct and interactive roles of perceived racial discrimination and ethnic resources.

RESULTS

Mental distress was directly associated with perceived racial discrimination (B = 1.90, SE = .20, p < .001), ethnic identity (B = -.41, SE = .13, p < .01), and sense of community (B = -.45, SE = .12, p < .001). Perceived racial discrimination interacted significantly with sense of community (B = -1.86, SE = .28, p < .001). Subgroup analyses suggested that in the context of experiencing racial discrimination, a high sense of community can serve as a buffer against mental distress.

CONCLUSIONS

Ethnic resources are a benefit in coping with experiences of discrimination. The moderating role of sense of community suggests the value of fostering social capital in ethnic communities to protect and promote older immigrants' mental health.

Differences in Mental Health Status Among Asian Americans During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings from the Health, Ethnicity, and Pandemic Study

Purpose:

This study aims to explore the differences in mental health status among Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods:

Data from the 2020 Health, Ethnicity, and Pandemic (HEAP) Study were used to explore the psychological distress of 2672 adults, using the Standard Kessler Psychological Distress Scale.

Results:

We observed that among Asian American subgroups, South Asian Americans had significantly higher odds of experiencing psychological distress than non-Hispanic White Americans (odds ratio = 1.82, 95% confidence interval = 1.00–3.31), after controlling for covariates.

Conclusion:

The study identified differences in mental health status among Asian American subgroups. We recommend the implementation of culturally appropriate interventions to help Asian Americans cope with mental health challenges.