Links between ethnic discrimination, mental health, protective factors, and hair cortisol concentrations in asylum seekers living in Germany.

Objective: Asylum seekers often experience ethnic discrimination on the flight or in the host country, which may be associated with chronic stress and impaired mental health. Dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, a known physiological correlate of chronic stress, can be assessed using hair cortisol concentrations (HCC). The present study aimed to investigate how different forms of perceived ethnic discrimination are associated with mental health outcomes, HCC, and protective factors in asylum seekers living in Germany.Methods: Somatic symptoms (PHQ-15), symptoms of posttraumatic stress (PDS), depressive symptoms (PHQ-9), different forms of ethnic discrimination (active harm, passive harm, institutional discrimination), and protective factors (in-group identification, social support) were assessed cross-sectionally in 144 asylum seekers (average age 32 years, average duration of stay in Germany nine months; 67% men). HCC were obtained from 68 participants. Multiple regression analyses were conducted and social support and in-group identification were tested as potential moderators.Results: Active ethnic discrimination was positively associated with all assessed mental health outcomes, and all forms of ethnic discrimination positively correlated with depressive symptoms. Ethnic discrimination was not associated with HCC. When controlling for other possible influences (e.g. age, gender, traumatic events), passive harm was negatively associated with depressive symptoms (ß = -0.17, p = .033) and active harm was positively associated (ß = 0.28, p = .022) with somatic symptoms. After the inclusion of the protective factors, the associations were no longer significant. Lower social support was associated with higher depressive symptoms (ß = -0.35, p < .001), posttraumatic stress (ß = -0.77, p < .001), and somatic symptoms (ß = -0.32, p < .001), but did not moderate the associations between ethnic discrimination and the mental health outcomes.Conclusions: Perceived ethnic discrimination may negatively influence asylum seekers' mental health but does not seem to be associated with HCC. Social support was associated with psychological symptom severity, but did not buffer the effects of ethnic discrimination on mental health.

The study examined the relationship between ethnic and institutional discrimination, protective factors (social support and in-group identification), hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) and mental health in asylum seekers.Ethnic discrimination was associated with mental health outcomes and social support, but not with HCC.Lower social support was associated with higher depressive and somatic symptoms, but did not moderate the relationship between ethnic discrimination and mental health.

The association of perceived ethnic discrimination and institutional verbal violence with chronic stress in an immigrant sample: The role of protective factors - results from the VIOLIN study.

Immigrants are exposed to a variety of stressors, such as ethnic discrimination, and therefore experience a higher risk of developing adverse health outcomes. However, the role of potentially protective psychological factors is not well-studied. The present study addresses the question how discrimination and institutional verbal violence (IVV) are associated with chronic stress in an immigrant sample. In addition, this study highlights moderating effects of migration-specific variables (first or second migration generation and citizenship status). Participants (n = 232; 69.4 % female) completed an online-survey, which included demographics, questionnaires (Everyday Discrimination Scale, EDS; Perceived Stress Scale, PSS-4; Resilience Scale, RS-11; Self-Compassion Scale, SCS-SF) as well as a self-developed questionnaire on institutional verbal violence. Only participants living in Germany with migration background (self or one parent migrated to Germany) were included. Results showed that perceived discrimination and institutional verbal violence were highly associated with chronic stress. Further, self-compassion buffered the connection between discrimination and stress, whereas resilience was no protective factor. The inclusion of migration-specific variables showed that the second-generation sub-group experienced less discrimination-related stress and self-compassion was shown to be particularly protective within this sub-group. Citizenship status did not appear to be a moderator, but especially persons with temporary or permanent residence status, compared to German/EU-citizens, reported higher values of verbal violence and discrimination-related stress. These findings highlight the importance of considering not only psychological but also structural and societal protective and risk factors, as they may be differentially associated with immigrants' stress perceptions. Implications for future research and practical implementations are presented.

Development and validation of a questionnaire to evaluate attitudes and beliefs of discrimination by nursing staff.

OBJECTIVE: Aim: The purpose of this study is to report on the development and initial psychometric testing of a questionnaire to investigate nurses' discrimination attitudes and beliefs towards people of dif f erent ethnic origins. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and Methods: The initial stage involved the selection of the questions of the tool after a comprehensive evaluation of the relevant international literature and the tools used in previous related studies. The reliability (forward-backward translation) of the questions was assessed, along with the content, face, and structure. To conduct the study, which was carried out from 07/2021 to 01/2022 a sample consisting of 30 and 2,034 nurses and their assistants was used for the pilot and the fi nal research, respectively. RESULTS: Results: Given that the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) threshold value of 0.89 was achieved, the sample was considered sufficient and appropriate for factor analysis. A statistically signif i cant result (p<0.001) from Bartlett's test indicated a substantial connection between the questions and conf i rmed that the data were suitable for factor analysis. Twenty statements altogether, with seven possible answers ranging from "totally disagree" to "completely agree," were included in the questionnaire. For the questions, three distinct factors - communication, difficulties, and discrimination - were shown to account for 47.1% of the variability. Reliability analyzes showed satisfactory Cronbach alpha coefficient scores for all factors, ranging from 0.78 to 0.82. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: The current study demonstrates that the questionnaire we developed is a legitimate and trustworthy instrument for evaluating professional nurses' discriminatory attitudes and beliefs toward individuals from various ethnic backgrounds. The questionnaire can be used to help design interventions to end discrimination, guarantee equitable access to healthcare services, and provide high-quality care for individuals from diverse backgrounds. It can also be used to identify the factors that inf l uence nurses' attitudes and perceptions toward these patient populations.

Race/ethnicity-based discrimination, depressive symptoms, and smoking-related variables among people with HIV participating in a randomized clinical trial for cigarette smoking cessation.

People with HIV smoke cigarettes at a high prevalence, and it is important to identify modifiable variables related to smoking in this population. Race/ethnicity-based discrimination is common among people with HIV from minoritized racial and ethnic groups and results in significant adverse effects. The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between race/ethnicity-based discrimination, depression, and smoking-related variables among people with HIV who smoke. This was a secondary analysis of data from a prospective, randomized controlled smoking cessation trial for people with HIV. Participants were recruited from three HIV clinical care sites and randomly assigned to an HIV-tailored group therapy intervention or a control condition. Participants completed measures of demographics, smoking-related variables, race/ethnicity-based discrimination, and depressive symptoms at baseline and were followed up 3- and 6-months after study completion. Depressive symptoms had an indirect effect on the relationship between race/ethnicity-based discrimination and self-efficacy to quit smoking at 3-month follow-up. Depressive symptoms mediated the relationship between race/ethnicity-based discrimination and both nicotine dependence and self-efficacy to quit smoking at 6-month follow-up. Findings highlight the importance of considering race/ethnicity-based discrimination and depressive symptoms in the development and implementation of smoking cessation treatment interventions for people with HIV.

Exploring the mechanisms underlying increased risk of depressive disorder in ethnic minority populations in Europe: A causal loop diagram.

BACKGROUND: Multiple ethnic minority populations in Europe show high risk of major depressive disorder (MDD), with ethnic discrimination and low socioeconomic position (SEP) as established risk factors. How this risk is shaped by the interactions between these, and other social factors, remains to be elucidated. We aimed to develop a causal-loop diagram (CLD) to gain a better understanding of how factors at the intersection of ethnic discrimination and SEP dynamically interact to drive MDD risk. METHODS: We iteratively mapped the interactions and feedback loops between factors at the intersection of ethnic discrimination and SEP, drawing input from (i) a series of two interviews with a range of MDD domain experts, (ii) an existing CLD mapping the onset of MDD across psychological, biological, and social dimensions at the level of the individual, and (iii) other relevant literature. RESULTS: Through tracing the feedback loops in the resulting CLD, we identified ten driving mechanisms for MDD onset in ethnic minorities (two related to ethnic discrimination, SEP, social network and support, and acculturation, as well as one relating to the living environment and self-stigma towards MDD); and four factors that modulate these mechanisms (recent migration, religious affiliation, neighborhood social environment, and public stigma towards MDD). The intersecting nature of ethnic discrimination and SEP, combined with the reinforcing dynamics of the identified driving mechanisms across time- and spatial scales, underscores the excess exposure to circumstances that increase MDD risk in ethnic minorities. CONCLUSIONS: While this CLD requires validation through future studies, the intersecting and reinforcing nature of the identified driving mechanisms highlights that tackling the high risk of MDD in ethnic minorities may require intervening at multiple targets, from the individual (e.g., psychological interventions targeting negative beliefs or reducing stress) to the societal level (e.g., addressing labor market discrimination).

Family-level moderators of daily associations between discrimination and distress among Mexican-origin youth.

The current study evaluated cultural values and family processes that may moderate associations between daily racial-ethnic discrimination and distress among Mexican-origin youth. Integrating micro-time (daily diary) and macro-time (longitudinal survey) research design features, we examined familism, family cohesion, and ethnic-racial socialization from youth-, mother-, and father- reports as potential buffers of daily associations between youth racial-ethnic discrimination and youth distress (negative affect and anger). The analytic sample, drawn from the Seguimos Avanzando study, included 317 Mexican-origin adolescents (Mage = 13.5 years) and their parents, recruited from the Midwestern United States. Results indicated that youth-reported familism and family cohesion significantly buffered daily associations between youth racial-ethnic discrimination and youth distress. In contrast, parent-reported familism and family cohesion and some aspects of ethnic-racial socialization exacerbated the discrimination to distress link. The implications of these results are discussed to inform efforts supporting the healthy development of Mexican-origin youth and their families.

Ethnic discrimination, asking for fair treatment, and poor self-rated health: a gender stratified analysis of 13,443 Korean Chinese waged workers in South Korea.

BACKGROUND: In South Korea, Korean Chinese workers experience ethnic discrimination although they share physical similarities and ethnic heritage with native-born Koreans. This study aimed to examine whether perceived ethnic discrimination is associated with poor self-rated health and whether the association differs by gender among Korean Chinese waged workers in South Korea. METHODS: We conducted a pooled cross-sectional analysis using data of 13,443 Korean Chinese waged workers from the Survey on Immigrants' Living Conditions and Labor Force conducted in 2018, 2020, and 2022. Based on perceived ethnic discrimination, asking for fair treatment, and subsequent situational improvement, respondents were classified into the following four groups: "Not experienced," "Experienced, not asked for fair treatment," "Experienced, asked for fair treatment, not improved," and "Experienced, asked for fair treatment, improved." Poor self-rated health was assessed using a single question "How is your current overall health?" We applied logistic regression to examine the association between perceived ethnic discrimination and poor self-rated health, with gender-stratified analyses. RESULTS: We found an association between ethnic discrimination and poor self-rated health among Korean Chinese waged workers. In the gender-stratified analysis, the "Experienced, not asked for fair treatment" group was more likely to report poor self-rated health compared to the "Not experienced" group, regardless of gender. However, gender differences were observed in the group stratified by situational improvements. For male workers, no statistically significant association was found in the "Experienced, asked for fair treatment, improved" group with poor self-rated health (odd ratios: 0.87, 95% confidence intervals: 0.30-2.53). Conversely, among female workers, a statistically significant association was observed (odd ratios: 2.63, 95% confidence intervals: 1.29-5.38). CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to find an association between perceived ethnic discrimination and poor self-rated health, along with gender differences in the association between situational improvements after asking for fair treatment and poor self-rated health among Korean Chinese waged workers in South Korea.

Peer victimization and social anxiety in adolescence: a comparison between migrant and native students in Italy.

The first aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between bullying victimization and social anxiety in native and migrant adolescents in Italy. Specifically, it was hypothesized that migrant adolescents (in comparison with natives) experience more frequent episodes of bullying victimization, which in turn, may be a risk factor for the development of social anxiety symptoms. The second aim of the study is to explore the relationships from reflected minority categorization to perceived ethnic discrimination at school and social anxiety symptoms, in the subgroup of migrant students. Results showed that the migrant (vs. native) status was predictive of higher scores in social anxiety dimensions (Fear of Negative Evaluation, Social Avoidance and Distress in New Situations, and General Social Avoidance Distress), via the mediating effect of increased peer victimization. Moreover, in the subgroup of migrant participants, an indirect effect of reflected minority categorization on social anxiety was observed, mediated by perceived ethnic discrimination at school. These findings may contribute to the understanding of health inequalities among migrant and native people in the Italian context. Limitations and practical implications of the study were discussed.

Profiles of Latinx cultural orientation among adolescents: Associations with internalizing symptoms and moderation by ethnic-racial discrimination.

INTRODUCTION: The objectives of the current study were the following: (1) to explore multidimensional profiles of Latinx cultural orientation using Spanish language use, familismo, and ethnic-racial identity (ERI) affirmation among Latinx adolescents, (2) to test how Latinx cultural orientation profiles were associated with adolescents' internalizing symptoms (i.e., depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms), and (3) to test whether associations between profiles and internalizing symptoms were moderated by adolescents' ethnic-racial discrimination experiences. METHODS: The study was conducted among a sample of 204 Latinx adolescents (52.4% female; Mage = 14.35, SDage = 1.75). RESULTS: Latent profile analysis indicated four profiles of Latinx cultural orientation: higher affirmation and lower Spanish (HALS), higher Spanish (HS), lower familismo and affirmation (LFA), and higher familismo/lower Spanish and affirmation (HFLSA). Latinx adolescents who reported lower levels on more than one Latinx cultural orientation dimension (e.g. LFA or HFSLA) also reported worse health when compared to adolescents who reported higher levels of more than one Latinx cultural orientation dimension (e.g., HSA). The associations between Latinx cultural orientation profiles and internalizing symptoms were not moderated by adolescents' ethnic-racial discrimination. CONCLUSION: Findings provide researchers and practitioners with an understanding of the various ways in which Latinx adolescents remain connected to their Latinx culture and implications for their outcomes.

Nightmare experiences and perceived ethnic discrimination amongst female university students in the United Arab Emirates: a cross-sectional study.

Perceived ethnic discrimination is known to be associated with anxiety and depression, and in turn, anxiety and depression are known to be associated with nightmare frequency and distress. This elicits a question: is perceived ethnic discrimination associated with nightmare frequency and distress? In this study, 179 female university students from the United Arab Emirates were assessed to answer that question. Results showed that while anxiety and depression were related to nightmare experiences, perceived ethnic discrimination was a stronger predictor of nightmare experiences. We posit two explanations for this finding: one based on psychoanalytical insights, and the other based on the Disposition-Stress model with neurobiological correlates. No significant differences were found across ethnicity when it comes to nightmare experiences or perceived ethnic discrimination. This is an encouraging sign of optimal societal integration in the United Arab Emirates.

The Mediating Role of Self-Esteem in the Relationship Between Perceived Ethnic Discrimination and Continuance Commitment of Migrant Workers.

This study aims to examine the relationship between perceived ethnic discrimination by migrant workers (applicants for international protection) and continuance commitment, and to analyze whether this relationship is mediated by self-esteem. In addition, it aims to contribute to the literature on the organizational outcomes of perceived ethnic discrimination. This research was conducted through a questionnaire survey of 411 migrants who applied for international protection in Turkey. As a result of the study, perceived ethnic discrimination was found to be a predictor of continuance commitment and self-esteem. In addition, it was observed that self-esteem has a mediating role in the relationship between perceived ethnic discrimination and continuance commitment. The results offer important implications for organizations and organization managers on how migrant workers should be managed and which issues require specific attention. The application of the study on migrant workers and the examination of these variables provide important contributions and practical implications to the literature. In addition, this is a rare study that examines the mediator model with the variables specified in the model using social identity theory, which has not yet been widely covered in existing literature.

Psychological Consequences of Chronic Ethnic Discrimination in Male Turkish Immigrants Living in Austria: A 30-Day Ambulatory Assessment Study.

BACKGROUND: Chronic ethnic discrimination may be associated with negative psychological consequences in ethnic minority groups. However, little is known about the impact of acute discriminatory events on people who experience chronic ethnic discrimination. PURPOSE: We examined the impact of chronic and acute ethnic discrimination on the daily lives of Turkish immigrants in Austria, a population often overlooked in discrimination research. METHODS: Ninety male Turkish immigrants living in Austria (60 experiencing chronic and 30 infrequent ethnic discrimination) reported discriminatory events in real time for 30 days. Additionally, subjective stress, reactivity to daily hassles, affect, and maladaptive coping were assessed daily. RESULTS: Participants experiencing chronic ethnic discrimination indicated higher daily values for stress, negative affect, reactivity to daily hassles, and anticipation and avoidance coping. Negative psychological states increased for all participants on days when discriminatory events occurred, but participants with chronic ethnic discrimination showed significantly stronger increases in maladaptive coping and reactivity to daily hassles, with the latter effect persisting until the next day. CONCLUSIONS: Our study is the first to demonstrate interaction effects of chronic and acute ethnic discrimination on psychological factors in daily life. The results may advance the understanding of the mechanisms that lead to health disparities in ethnic minority populations and may inform the development of targeted interventions.

This study investigated the impact of chronic and acute ethnic discrimination on the daily lives of Turkish immigrants in Austria, a population often overlooked in discrimination research. While it is established that experiences of ethnic discrimination are related to worse mental and physical health, the "how," that is, the underlying psychological mechanisms, remain incompletely understood. Ninety male Turkish immigrants took part in this study, with 60 experiencing ethnic discrimination on a regular basis. Over a 30-day period, we tracked their experiences of discrimination and their daily stress, emotional reactions, and coping strategies. We found that the participants with regular experiences of ethnic discrimination had higher stress levels and more negative emotions than the participants with fewer experiences of discrimination. In addition, they more strongly reacted to acute discriminatory events in their daily lives and had more problems coping with such events. They even were more stressed by daily hassles, which continued into the following day. These findings advance the understanding of the negative impact of ethnic discrimination on health disparities in ethnic minority populations and may inform the development of targeted interventions.

Psychosocial factors associated with 7-year change in cognition among middle-aged and older Hispanics/Latinos: The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos-Investigation of Neurocognitive Aging (SOL-INCA) and Sociocultural ancillary studies.

INTRODUCTION: Few studies have examined the associations of psychosocial factors with cognitive change in Hispanics/Latinos. METHODS: Data from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos-Investigation of Neurocognitive Aging (HCHS/SOL INCA) and Sociocultural studies were used (n = 2,155; ages ≥45 years). Psychosocial exposures included intrapersonal (ethnic identity, optimism, purpose in life), interpersonal (family cohesion, familism, social networks, social support), and social factors (ethnic discrimination, loneliness, subjective social status). Survey-linear regression models examined associations between psychosocial exposures and 7-year cognitive change (global cognition [GC], verbal learning, memory, word fluency [WF], and digit symbol substitution [DSS]). RESULTS: Familism predicted decline in GC, verbal learning, and memory; family cohesion predicted DSS decline; and loneliness predicted memory decline. Ethnic identity was protective against decline in GC and memory, optimism and social support were protective against decline in memory, and purpose in life was protective against WF decline. DISCUSSION: Psychosocial factors are differentially related to cognitive changes. Culturally relevant factors should be explored in Hispanic/Latino cognitive aging research. HIGHLIGHTS: Psychosocial factors are differentially related to cognitive changes in Latinos. Role of culturally relevant factors on cognition should be further explored. Familism predicted decline in global cognition, verbal learning, and memory. Ethnic identity predicted increase in global cognition and memory.

A machine learning approach using migration-related cultural stress to classify depression and post-traumatic stress disorder among hurricane survivors.

BACKGROUND: Data science approaches have increasingly been used in behavioral health research and may be useful for addressing social factors contributing to disparities in health status. This study evaluated the importance of cultural stress-related factors in classifying depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among adult survivors (N = 319) of Hurricane Maria who migrated from Puerto Rico to the United States mainland. METHODS: We evaluated the performance of random forests (RF) and logistic regression (LR) for classifying PTSD and depression. Models included demographic, hurricane exposure, and migration-related cultural stress variables. We inspected area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), accuracy, balanced accuracy, F1 score, precision, recall, and specificity. RESULTS: Negative context of reception and language-related stressors were moderately important for accurately classifying depression and PTSD. For classifying depression, RF showed higher accuracy, balanced accuracy, specificity, precision, and F1. For classifying PTSD, RF showed higher accuracy, specificity, precision, and F1. LIMITATIONS: A more thorough classification model would also include biomarkers (e.g., of allostatic load), family, community, or neighborhood-level attributes. Findings may not generalize to other groups who have experienced crisis-related migration. CONCLUSIONS: Findings underscore the importance of culturally and linguistically appropriate and trauma-informed clinical services for recent migrants. Use of assessments to identify pre-migration and post-migration stressors could inform clinical practice with migrants presenting with behavioral health-related difficulties.

THE IMPACT OF ETHNIC DISCRIMINATION AND INSTITUTIONAL BETRAYAL ON CANADIAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS' MENTAL HEALTH.

The aims of this study were to understand associations among mental health symptoms, ethnic discrimination, and institutional betrayal, and explore the potential role of protective factors (e.g. ethnic identity and racial regard) in attenuating the detrimental effects of discrimination and betrayal. A total of 89 racialized Canadian university students were recruited for this study. Self-report measures investigated demographics, mental health symptoms, experiences of discrimination and institutional betrayal, racial regard, and ethnic identity. Experiencing ethnic discrimination was associated with increased symptoms of depression and PTSD, even when controlling for the buffering effects of protective factors. Marginally significant results suggested that institutional betrayal might play a role in this relationship. Experiencing ethnic discrimination is linked to significant posttraumatic consequences. Unhelpful institutional responses may further aggravate symptoms. Universities have a duty to protect victims, and prevent ethnic discrimination.

Negative emotional reactivity to minority stress: measure development and testing.

The purpose of the present investigation was to develop and test a measure of negative emotional reactivity to racial/ethnic minoritized stress. In Study 1, we developed item content for a measure of negative emotional reactivity to racial/ethnic minoritized stress. We then evaluated item performance and produced a refined 15-item scale among a large sample of racial/ethnic minority adults (N = 1,343). Results supported a unidimensional construct and high levels of internal consistency. The factor structure and internal consistency were replicated and extended to a sample of Latinx persons who smoke (N = 338) in Study 2. There was evidence of convergent validity of the Emotional Reactivity to Minoritized Stress (ERMS) total score in terms of theoretically consistent and statistically significant relations with indices of mental health problems, social determinants of health, and substance use processes. There was also evidence that the ERMS demonstrated divergent validity in that it was negatively associated with psychological well-being, health literacy, subjective social status in Study 1, and positive abstinence expectancies in Study 2. Overall, the present study establishes the reliability and validity of measuring individual differences in negative emotional reactivity to racial/ethnic minority stress with the ERMS and that such responsivity is associated with behavioral health problems.

Racial/Ethnic Discrimination and Cardiometabolic Diseases: A Systematic Review.

INTRODUCTION: Racial discrimination has been identified as a risk factor for cardiometabolic diseases, the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among racial/ethnic minority groups; however, there is no synthesis of current knowledge on the association between discrimination and cardiometabolic diseases. The objective of this systematic review was to summarize evidence linking racial/ethnic discrimination and cardiometabolic diseases. METHODS: The review was conducted based on studies identified via electronic searches of 5 databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, WorldWideScience.org, ResearchGate and Microsoft Academic) using terms related to discrimination and cardiometabolic disease. RESULTS: Of the 123 eligible studies included in the review, 87 were cross-sectional, 25 longitudinal, 8 quasi-experimental, 2 randomized controlled trials and 1 case-control. Cardiometabolic disease outcomes discussed were hypertension (n = 46), cardiovascular disease (n = 40), obesity (n = 12), diabetes (n = 11), metabolic syndrome (n = 9), and chronic kidney disease (n = 5). Although a variety of discrimination measures was employed across the studies, the Everyday Discrimination Scale was used most often (32.5%). African Americans/Blacks were the most frequently studied racial/ethnic group (53.1%), and American Indians the least (0.02%). Significant associations between racial/ethnic discrimination and cardiometabolic disease were found in 73.2% of the studies. DISCUSSION: Racial/ethnic discrimination is positively associated with increased risk of cardiometabolic disease and higher levels of cardiometabolic biomarkers. Identifying racial/ethnic discrimination as a potential key contributor to the health inequities associated with cardiometabolic diseases is important for addressing the significant burden borne by racial/ethnic minorities.

Evaluating the role of smoking abstinence expectancies in the relation between perceived ethnic discrimination and cigarette dependence among Latinx individuals who smoke.

The experience of perceived ethnic discrimination is prevalent and has harmful effects across various behavioral health processes among Latinx persons. Yet, there is limited work on the association between perceived ethnic discrimination and smoking among this health disparities group. Building from initial work that has demonstrated a relationship between perceived ethnic discrimination and smoking abstinence expectancies, the present study sought to explore mechanisms by which perceived ethnic discrimination may be related to cigarette dependence. Specifically, we tested the indirect effect of perceived ethnic discrimination on cigarette dependence through smoking abstinence expectancies (i.e., negative mood, somatic symptoms, harmful consequences, and positive consequences) among Latinx persons who smoke (N = 338; Mage = 35.53 years; SD = 8.65; age range 18-61; 37.3% female). Results indicated that abstinence expectancies related to harmful consequences was a statistically significant underlying factor between the experience of perceived discrimination and cigarette dependence (b = 0.39, SE = 0.16, CI95% = 0.08, 0.71, CSE = 0.14). Overall, the present study suggests that smoking abstinence expectancies pertaining to harmful consequences may be a point of intervention for Latinx persons seeking to reduce or quit smoking. Future research is needed to extend the generalizability of these findings by corroborating the mediational role of abstinence expectancies related to harmful consequences across Latinx persons of varying cigarette use severity levels over time.

Profiles of identity and discrimination and the psychological, health, and academic outcomes of Korean ethnic minority youth in China.

Korean Chinese is one of the 55 officially recognized ethnic minorities in China. The protective effects of strong bicultural (ethnic and national) identities and the detrimental effects of ethnic discrimination on adjustment outcomes are well documented for ethnic minority youth in W.E.I.R.D. societies. Yet, ethnic minority youth in non-W.E.I.R.D. societies, such as Korean Chinese, may experience a unique form of discrimination-national discrimination. It is not known how multiple social identities and experiences of dual discrimination may intersect to predict youth adjustment. Thus, this study explored profiles of ethnic and national identities and ethnic and national discrimination among Korean Chinese youth and examined their psychological, health, and academic adjustment. The analytic sample included 267 Korean Chinese youth aged from 12 to 18 (M = 15.21, SD = 1.65) residing in Northeast China. Three latent profiles were identified. The dominant profile of Korean Chinese youth was characterized by high bicultural identity and low ethnic and national discrimination (BILD; n = 171). The second profile was characterized by high bicultural identity and high national discrimination (BIND, n = 50). The third profile was characterized by moderate ethnic and national identities and moderate ethnic and national discrimination (MIMD, n = 46). Regression analyses found that the BILD profile showed fewer depressive symptoms compared to the BIND profile and showed better perceived physical health compared to the MIMD profile. The findings highlight strong bicultural identities as a cultural asset and discrimination-particularly national discrimination-as a contextual risk to Korean Chinese adolescents' well-being.

The relative contribution of ethnic identity and ethnic discrimination on alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use disorders among Hispanic/Latin American individuals.

INTRODUCTION: Racial/ethnic discrimination and ethnic identity, the affiliation and connection to one's ethnic group, are important for understanding alcohol, tobacco, and drug use disorders (AUD, TUD, DUD, respectively) among Hispanic/Latin American individuals. Although discrimination is a well-recognized risk factor, the role of ethnic identity is less understood. Moreover, no study has examined which of these factors is more important for informing AUD, TUD, and DUD. This information is necessary for creating effective prevention and treatment programs tailored for Hispanic/Latin American people. Herein we examined the role and relative importance of racial/ethnic discrimination and Hispanic ethnic identity on past year AUD, TUD, and DUD. METHODS: Hispanic/Latin American participants of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III constituted the sample for this cross-sectional secondary data analysis. Participants (N = 7037) were 39.93 years old on average (SD = 15.32). More than half were female (56.1 %) and had family incomes below the median household income in the United States (58.7 %). Most had national origins in North America (79.3 %), including US dependent territories and Mexico. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) verified the psychometric properties of the discrimination and Hispanic ethnic identity measures. Logistic regressions, supplemented with dominance analysis, estimated the role and relative contribution of discrimination and Hispanic ethnic identity on the probability of past year AUD, TUD, and DUD. RESULTS: The CFAs yielded adequate convergent validity and reliability for each construct. More racial/ethnic discrimination and a higher Hispanic ethnic identity related to a higher and lower probability of AUD, TUD, and DUD, respectively. The magnitude of the association between Hispanic ethnic identity and the probability of TUD exceeded that of racial/ethnic discrimination, but the converse was the case for AUD and DUD. CONCLUSIONS: Prevention and treatment programs for TUD that highlight the value of having a strong sense of self as a member of a Hispanic ethnic group, and that encourage the individual to explore their Hispanic ancestry may prove effective among Hispanic/Latin American individuals, particularly those who have experienced racial/ethnic discrimination. Programs for AUD and DUD tailored for Hispanic Latin/American adults should also incorporate coping strategies to address experiences with racial/ethnic discrimination.