Perceived discrimination as a mediator between cultural identity and mental health symptoms among racial/ethnic minority adults in the United States: insights from the Health Information National Trends Survey 6

Lulin Zhou; Jonathan Aseye Nutakor; Ebenezer Larnyo; Stephen Addai-Dansoh; Yupeng Cui; Nutifafa Eugene Yaw Dey

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1233919

Perceived discrimination as a mediator between cultural identity and mental health symptoms among racial/ethnic minority adults in the United States: insights from the Health Information National Trends Survey 6

Front Psychol. 2024 Feb 28:15:1233919. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1233919. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Lulin Zhou¹, Jonathan Aseye Nutakor¹, Ebenezer Larnyo², Stephen Addai-Dansoh¹, Yupeng Cui¹, Nutifafa Eugene Yaw Dey³

Affiliations

¹ School of Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China.
² Center for Black Studies Research, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States.
³ Department of Psychology, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.

Abstract

Objective: This study examined the role of perceived discrimination as a mediator between cultural identity and mental health symptoms among adults from racial/ethnic minority groups in the United States.

Methods: Data were gathered from the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 6, a nationally representative survey. The mediating role of perceived discrimination was investigated using structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis.

Results: The study found significant associations between demographic and lifestyle factors and mental health symptoms. Non-Hispanic Blacks or African Americans and Hispanics were less likely than Non-Hispanic Whites to have mental health symptoms. Individuals between the ages of 35 and 49, 50 to 64, 65 to 74, and 75 and older had lower odds of mental health symptoms. Gender differences revealed that females had a higher risk of mental health issues than males. Socioeconomic factors, such as household income and employment status, played a significant role, with higher household income and employment status being associated with a decreased likelihood of mental health symptoms. The study emphasizes the role of perceived discrimination as a mediator, suggesting that it fully mediated the association between cultural identity and mental health symptoms. These findings highlight the significance of addressing discrimination experiences in fostering the mental health of adults from diverse backgrounds.

Conclusion: The findings highlight the need to take racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic inequities, as well as cultural identity and prejudice, into account in mental health research and interventions. The identified risk and protective factors can guide interventions and policies to enhance this population's mental health.

Keywords: cultural identity; mental health symptoms; perceived discrimination; racial/ethnic minority adults; socioeconomic factors.

Grants and funding

This study was supported and funded by the Research on the Construction and Supporting Strategy of Value-Oriented Payment Model for Outpatient Care of Chronic Diseases (National Natural Science Foundation of China, grant number 71974064).