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Effects of Minority Status and Perceived Discrimination on Mental Health

Author

Listed:
  • Bethany G. Everett

    (University of Utah)

  • Jarron Saint Onge

    (University of Kansas)

  • Stefanie Mollborn

    (University of Colorado at Boulder)

Abstract

Based in a minority social stress perspective, this study uses propensity score matching techniques to assess the impact of self-reported discrimination on mental health. Using a sample of 14,609 young adults from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, we explore whether the effects of discrimination vary across status characteristics (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and body mass), including both majority and minority populations. Further we investigate the heterogeneous effects of discrimination across propensity scores, or probabilities of experiencing discrimination. We find that self-reported discrimination increases the average perceived stress score and depressive symptoms score by roughly ½ standard deviation, but is not related to anxiety. Further, our results show that while all groups are negatively affected by discrimination, the magnitude of the impact is largest among groups with the lowest propensity scores.

Suggested Citation

  • Bethany G. Everett & Jarron Saint Onge & Stefanie Mollborn, 2016. "Effects of Minority Status and Perceived Discrimination on Mental Health," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 35(4), pages 445-469, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:poprpr:v:35:y:2016:i:4:d:10.1007_s11113-016-9391-3
    DOI: 10.1007/s11113-016-9391-3
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    Cited by:

    1. Justin T. Denney & Jarron M. Saint Onge & Jeff A. Dennis, 2018. "Neighborhood Concentrated Disadvantage and Adult Mortality: Insights for Racial and Ethnic Differences," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 37(2), pages 301-321, April.
    2. Daniel K Cooper & Mayra Bámaca-Colbert & Eric K Layland & Emily G Simpson & Benjamin L Bayly, 2021. "Puerto Ricans and Mexican immigrants differ in their psychological responses to patterns of lifetime adversity," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(10), pages 1-22, October.
    3. Ridgeway, Sadie O. & Denney, Justin T., 2023. "A comprehensive examination of discrimination and the impact on health in young adults," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 320(C).
    4. Brian B Boutwell & Joseph L Nedelec & Bo Winegard & Todd Shackelford & Kevin M Beaver & Michael Vaughn & J C Barnes & John P Wright, 2017. "The prevalence of discrimination across racial groups in contemporary America: Results from a nationally representative sample of adults," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(8), pages 1-8, August.

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