A path model of racial/ethnic discrimination and cardiovascular disease risk factors among college students of color

Discrimination in Context: Examining Neighborhood-Level Variation in the Incidence and Adverse Effects of Perceived Racial and Ethnic Discrimination Among Chicago Youth

A growing body of research links interpersonal racial and ethnic discrimination to adverse youth outcomes. Yet, studies examining the relevance of neighborhood context for discrimination are sparse. This study examines neighborhood-level variation in the incidence and impact of perceived racial and ethnic discrimination on depressive symptoms, suicidal behavior, violent behavior, and substance use. Hierarchical regression models on a sample of 1333 African American and Hispanic youth (52.44% female; x̄ = 13.03 years, SD = 3.25 at wave 1) residing in 238 Chicago neighborhoods from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods indicated little to no neighborhood-level variation in the incidence and impact of discrimination. Findings suggest that the experience of discrimination among youth of color is ubiquitous.

Everyday Discrimination and Mental Health Symptoms Among Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Students of Color Attending a Hispanic Serving Institution

Purpose: Discriminationas a unique psychosocial stressordisproportionately affects the mental health of communities of color as a function of systems of power and oppression. The increasing population of Hispanic undergraduates nationally warrants the importance of understanding the impact of discrimination on the mental health of students within Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), which enroll the most Hispanic students across the nation. This study investigated differences in the relationship between discrimination and mental health symptoms among Hispanic and non-Hispanic students of color (SoC) to better contextualize student experiences within an HSI setting. Methods: This study included 244 SoC (mean_age=21.52, standard deviation=2.64; 65% Hispanic/Latinx; 76% female) attending a small private Liberal Arts HSI in Southern California. Participants responded to measures assessing everyday discrimination, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms. Moderation analyses were performed to examine the moderating role of race/ethnicity on the relationship between everyday discrimination and mental health symptoms among Hispanic and non-Hispanic SoC. Results: Both groups generally reported similar levels of everyday discrimination and mental health symptoms. Moderation analyses indicated that, after accounting for covariates, everyday discrimination was associated with more depressive and anxiety symptoms, with race/ethnicity moderating this relationship. A moderation effect was detected among respondents reporting high levels of everyday discrimination wherein Hispanic participants endorsed significantly greater depressive and anxiety symptoms. Conclusion: Findings suggest that within this HSI, Hispanic students may be at greater risk of adverse mental health outcomes compared to non-Hispanic SoC when exposed to high levels of everyday discrimination.