The Relationship Between Mixed Race/Ethnicity, Developmental Assets, and Mental Health Among Youth

The independent and joint effect of socioeconomic status and Multiracial status on the prevalence and frequency of substance use and depression among U.S. adolescents

AIM

While the United States is becoming increasingly Multiracial, much is still unknown about the behavioral health of these growing new generations of Multiracial Americans. To narrow this research gap, this study investigated the prevalence/frequency of substance use and major depressive episodes [MDE] among non-Hispanic Multiracial [NHM] adolescents compared to their non-Hispanic White [NHW] counterparts and whether racial differences vary by socioeconomic status.

METHODS

We analyzed data from the 2015-2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (N = 3,645 NHM and 34,776 NHW adolescents aged 12-17). Average Marginal Effects derived from logistic regression and negative binomial regression were used to examine (1) differences in six outcomes (past-month use of alcohol, cannabis, or drugs other than cannabis [DOTC], past-year MDE, and the frequency of alcohol and cannabis use among past-month users) by Multiracial status; (2) the moderation effect of family income on these associations.

RESULTS

Compared to high-income NHW adolescents, high-income NHM adolescents reported significantly higher prevalence of past-month cannabis and DOTC use, and past-year MDE. No racial differences were observed at other income levels. Furthermore, moderation analyses indicated that the effect of Multiracial status on MDE was larger in the highest income group compared to the lowest income group.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggested that NHM adolescents, particularly those from high income families, exhibit increased prevalence of drug use and depression than NHW adolescents. As the US becomes more diverse, there is a need to further examine the social and structural factors driving the identified racial differences.

Mental health outcomes of multiracial individuals: A systematic review between the years 2016 and 2022

BACKGROUND

Emerging evidence suggests that multiracial individuals are at high risk for mental health problems. Systematic and ongoing synthesis of literature is necessary to understand mental health among multiracial individuals.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review of scholarly articles published during the years 2016-2022. Studies must have focused explicitly on mental health outcomes of biracial/multiracial individuals using quantitative methods. A total of 22 articles met criteria for this review.

RESULTS

Studies were mainly from the United States, with one study from the United Kingdom and one from the Netherlands. Sample sizes ranged from 57 to 393,681. Findings revealed a complicated picture between multiracial identity and mental health, which may be a function of how multiracial identity is defined and empirically examined. Among studies comparing multiracial individuals with monoracial groups, multiracial individuals tended to have worse mental health, with notable exceptions depending on the multiracial subgroup, the mental health outcome, and the reference group. Among studies that only examined multiracial individuals, discrimination and ethno-racial identity emerged as complex explanatory factors that can shape mental health, though each of these constructs can be explored more deeply across social milieu.

LIMITATIONS

The review focused on studies explicitly examining multiracial mental health, published during a limited time frame.

CONCLUSION

Multiracial individuals tended to have worse mental health outcomes compared to their monoracial counterparts, with variations depending on the outcomes, populations/subgroups, contexts, and reference groups. Racial discrimination and ethno-racial identity may shape mental health trajectories of multiracial people, calling for more research to inform targeted interventions.

Mental health and Multiracial/ethnic adults in the United States: a mixed methods participatory action investigation

Introduction

Addressing gaps in the integration of justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion (J-DEI) in public health research and practice, this study investigates the mental health of Multiracial and multiethnic adults in the United States (U.S.). A rapidly growing racial/ethnic group in the U.S., Multiracial and multiethnic populations are often excluded or underrepresented in standard public health research and practice, and little is known about their mental health or associated risk and protective factors.

Methods

To investigate this knowledge gap, an electronic cross-sectional survey was conducted in two waves in 2022, pulling from various community sources, with 1,359 respondents in total. Complementing this, seventeen semi-structured interviews were performed with a subset of survey participants. Data were analyzed using a mix of statistical methods and staged hybrid inductive-deductive thematic analysis.

Results

Findings indicate over half of the participants endorsed at least one mental health concern with prevalence of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors surpassing available national estimates. Exposure to trauma, discrimination, and microaggressions were found to play a significant role in these outcomes. Conversely, strong social support and strong ethnic identity emerged as protective factors. Qualitative insights brought forward the challenges faced by individuals in navigating bias and stigma, especially in the context of mental health care. Despite these barriers, emerging themes highlighted resilience, the importance of secure identity formation, and the critical role of community and cultural support.

Conclusions

The marked prevalence of mental health concerns among Multiracial and multiethnic populations emphasizes the pressing need for tailored interventions and inclusive research methodologies. Recognizing and addressing the unique challenges faced by these communities is imperative in driving mental health equity in the U.S. The findings advocate for community-engaged practices, interdisciplinary collaborations, and the importance of addressing mental health challenges with cultural sensitivity, particularly in historically oppressed and marginalized groups. Future efforts must focus on refining these practices, ensuring that public health initiatives are genuinely inclusive and equitable.

Assessing the Prevalence Rates of Internalizing Symptomatology Among Multiracial Adolescents in the United States: A Systematic Review

This systematic review aimed to investigate the prevalence of internalizing symptomatology among Multiracial adolescents in the United States and to report on the methods utilized to measure Multiracial race and internalizing symptoms. A comprehensive search was conducted in Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, APA PsycInfo, and Web of Science Core Collection. The search was confined to peer-reviewed studies reporting the prevalence of any internalizing symptom among Multiracial adolescents between 10 and 24 years in the United States. Study selection, data abstraction, and quality assessments were managed by four team members. Between 2000 and 2023, nine studies provided prevalence estimates and used various methods to measure Multiracial race and internalizing symptoms. Prevalence estimates displayed considerable variability depending on symptom examined and measurement method utilized. For all internalizing symptomatology, estimates ranged between 7.5 and 55.2%; for depressive symptomatology, estimates ranged between 12.8 and 51.0%. No information on the prevalence of anxiety symptoms alone were provided. This review represents a pioneering attempt to report the prevalence of internalizing symptomatology among Multiracial adolescents in the United States, revealing significant gaps in current knowledge and methodological inconsistencies in the field. There exists a need for more comprehensive epidemiological research with this growing population.

A Critical Scoping Review of Mental Health and Wellbeing Research with Multiracial Subsamples 2012-2022

This critical scoping review examined a decade of mental health and wellbeing outcome research inclusive of subsamples of multiracial participants (or persons identifying with two or more different racial groups) in order to draw initial conclusions about the contemporary state of multiracial mental health. Mental health disparities research inclusive of multiracial subsamples appears to be trending upward. Studies that used subsample analyses offer initial evidence that multiracial persons are at greater risk to experience worsened mental health in comparison to white monoracial peers, and that this disparity is compounded for multiracial persons from gender and/or sexual minoritized groups. This review uncovered numerous theoretical and methodological inconsistencies that constrained existing research from advancing more meaningful understandings of how white supremacy and systemic mono/racism differently impact the mental health and wellbeing of multiracial persons in the USA. Implications for future mental health disparities research inclusive of multiracial subsamples are presented.

Developmental assets, creativity, thriving, and mental health among Malaysian emerging adults

This study was part of a larger cross-national research project at the Norway's University of Bergen, which involved participants from over 30 countries. This undertaking delves into developmental assets, creativity, and thriving, and the part they play in determining mental health. Thus, this study examined the developmental assets (internal assets: support, empowerment, boundaries, and expectations and creative use of time; external assets: commitment to learning, positive identity, positive values, and social competencies), creativity, thriving, and their importance to mental health in a sample of Malaysian emerging adults. This study was based on a sample of 394 undergraduate students, comprising 264 females and 130 males, ranging between the ages of 18 and 26 years (M = 21.5). Two subscales of the Reisman diagnostic creativity assessment (RDCA) were used to measure creativity (originality and fluency). Meanwhile, thriving indicators of Search Institute were used to measure thriving while the short form of the mental health continuum (MHC-SF) for adolescents was used to measure mental health. An online Google form was used to collect data from university students enrolled in both public and private universities. The correlation analysis results revealed that all the variables were positively correlated to each other and that the relationship between development assets, creativity, thriving, and mental health ranged from weak to moderate. Multiple regression (stepwise) analysis produced four models that indicated that positive identity, support, creativity, and thriving have a significant influence on mental health among emerging adults. Further, analyses using the PROCESS procedure demonstrated significant indirect effects of positive identity and support on mental health through its effects on creativity and thriving. As such, it is our recommendation that mental health practitioners tailor their treatment approach to include positive identity, support, creativity, and thriving in their sessions with Malaysian emerging adults.

The Importance of Developmental Assets to Mental Health in Norwegian Youth

In the present study, we examined the importance of developmental assets to prolonged sadness (i.e., being sad most of the time or all the time for no reason in the last month) and suicide attempt. Cross–sectional data on items measuring developmental assets as well as prolonged sadness and suicide attempt were collected from high school students in Norway (N = 591, 55% girls). The findings from independent t–tests indicated that youth with poor mental health reported less developmental assets relative to their peers who did not report such problems. In logistic regression, asset categories, such as Positive identity and Personal assets, were significantly associated with poor mental health (especially prolonged sadness) after adjusting for other asset categories and demographic factors, such as age, sex, and parents' educational background. The influence of Empowerment and Family assets, which was significant when only the assets were assessed, was no longer significant when demographic variables were also considered. While more research on factors that can promote youth mental health is needed, our findings suggest that policies and programmes that ensure that youth have access to the necessary developmental resources and opportunities may also be empowering youth, enhancing their mental health, and consequently, facilitating their active involvement in their community.