ABSTRACT
This study examined how resilience is connected to psychological distress among Korean Americans (both U.S. born and foreign-born). Specifically, we explored the mediating role of perceived racial discrimination and the association between resilience and perceived racial discrimination moderated by different levels of social support. A structural equation model (a moderated mediation model) was employed with a sample of 781 participants. The data were obtained through online surveys for variables of interest. We employed this structural equation model to examine the association between variables using the bootstrapping method. We found that the indirect association of resilience with psychological distress through perceived racial discrimination was statistically significant. We also found that the mediating association of perceived racial discrimination was moderated by the extent of social support, especially when the level of social support was low and moderate. We discovered the roles of social support and perceived racial discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic and the link between resilience and psychological distress for Korean Americans. The findings suggested that social services and culturally sensitive/responsive resilience-focused treatments (including a mindfulness program) alleviate heightened psychological distress among Asian Americans who experienced racial discrimination during the pandemic. Policy implications are also discussed.
ABSTRACT
This study examined the relationships of parental stress and racial discrimination to the psychological distress of Korean Americans (both US- and foreign-born) during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also explored whether racial discrimination moderated the effect of parental stress on psychological distress. Using primary data collected between May 24, 2020, and June 14, 2020, via an online questionnaire, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation models were conducted on 339 Korean American parents. Results indicated that parental stress and racial discrimination were associated with parental psychological distress. However, when the sample was divided by parental sex, racial discrimination played as a moderator, the interaction of discrimination, and parenting stress was associated with more psychological distress only for mothers. Based on the study results, we recommended that policymakers should consider policies and programs that can reduce racism to make up for the public health crisis associated with COVID-19; clinical practitioners also need to provide appropriate virtual mental/physical health services and interventions that can decrease parental stress and psychological distress amid COVID-19.