Perceived racial/ethnic discrimination among young adult college students: Prevalence rates and associations with mental health

Objective/Participants: In a large, diverse sample of college students (N = 2,230), this online study investigated racial/ethnic differences on type of discriminatory event experienced and perceived stress, and whether discrimination-related stress was associated with mental health symptoms. Methods...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of American college health 2023-10, Vol.71 (7), p.2062-2073
Main Authors: Bravo, Adrian J., Wedell, Emma, Villarosa-Hurlocker, Margo C., Looby, Alison, Dickter, Cheryl L., Schepis, Ty S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
College Students
Ethnic differences
Ethnic groups
Ethnicity
Health status
Humans
Incidence
Mental depression
Mental disorders
Mental Health
Minority Groups
Negative experiences
Perceptions
Prevalence
Racial Differences
Racial Discrimination
Racism
Racism - psychology
Stress
Stress Variables
Students - psychology
Symptoms
Symptoms (Individual Disorders)
Universities
Young Adult
Young adults
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Summary:Objective/Participants: In a large, diverse sample of college students (N = 2,230), this online study investigated racial/ethnic differences on type of discriminatory event experienced and perceived stress, and whether discrimination-related stress was associated with mental health symptoms. Methods: Prevalence of lifetime/past year discriminatory events was assessed and frequency of discrimination-related stress was compared across racial/ethnic groups. Correlations between discrimination-related stress and mental health symptoms were also examined. Results: All racial/ethnic groups reported experiencing all types of discriminatory events, though prevalence was lowest for White students. Racial/ethnic minority (i.e., Asian, Black, Latinx) students reported greater discrimination-related perceived stress compared to White, non-Hispanics. Across all racial/ethnic groups, discrimination-related stress was positively associated with negative mental health outcomes (e.g., anxiety/depressive symptoms). Conclusions: These results highlight the need to continue efforts to reduce discriminatory experiences of racial/ethnic minority students and to incorporate antiracism interventions in universities to mitigate the pervasive negative experiences of minority students.
ISSN:0744-8481
1940-3208
1940-3208
DOI:10.1080/07448481.2021.1954012