Discrimination Distress and Depressive Symptoms for African American, Asian, Latino, and White Adolescents: Exploring the Joint Influence of Ethnic-Racial Socialization and Ethnic-Racial Identity
Abstract
This study assessed the joint influence of ethnic-racial socialization (ERS), and ethnic-racial identity (ERI) status on the association between discrimination distress and depressive symptoms for a diverse group of adolescents. Participants were 384 9th grade African American, Asian, Latino, and Non-Hispanic White adolescents, attending schools in a northeastern city. Analyses were performed for the full sample, and exploratory analyses were performed separately for Asian, Latino, and Non-Hispanic White youth. Separate exploratory analyses were not performed for African American youth because of insufficient power (n = 49). Analyses of the full sample revealed no joint influence of ERS and ERI on the discrimination distress - depressive symptoms association. However, findings revealed a direct positive association between discrimination distress and depressive symptoms, and a direct exacerbating influence of preparation for bias on depressive symptoms. Moreover, youth who reported ERI diffused, moratorium, and foreclosed statuses, also reported higher depressive symptoms compared to achieved youth. The findings of the exploratory analyses revealed both distinct and similar ethnic-racial group influences of ERS and ERI on the discrimination distress - depressive symptoms association. Specifically, compared to Asian achieved youth, the influence of high cultural socialization was more beneficial to the depressive symptoms of Asian diffused youth who reported high discrimination distress. Alternatively, compared to Asian achieved youth, high cultural socialization exacerbated the depressive symptoms of Asian moratorium youth who reported high discrimination distress. Joint effects of ERS and ERI were not found for Latino and Non-Hispanic White youth. Assessment of the direct effects of discrimination distress, ERS, and ERI, on depressive symptoms revealed that high preparation for bias exacerbated the depressive symptoms of Asian, Latino, and Non-Hispanic White youth. Distinctions arose with respect to the association between discrimination distress and depressive symptoms. Specifically, compared to Asian and Non-Hispanic-White youth, Latino youth showed no association between discrimination distress and depressive symptoms. This study highlighted the importance of assessing contextual and developmental influences on the depressive symptoms of ethnic-racial minority youth. Implications and limitations of the study were discussed.
Subject Area
Social psychology|Psychology
Recommended Citation
Donnay, Sandra M, "Discrimination Distress and Depressive Symptoms for African American, Asian, Latino, and White Adolescents: Exploring the Joint Influence of Ethnic-Racial Socialization and Ethnic-Racial Identity" (2016). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI10125246.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI10125246
