Objectives: Although the relationship between perceived discrimination and mental health among Black youth is well-documented, the mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. Drawing from the stress process model, this study examines two psychosocial mediators - self-esteem and self-efficacy - in the association between perceived discrimination and mental health among African American and Caribbean Black adolescents. This research addresses three primary research questions: First, how is perceived discrimination associated with mental health? Second, to what extent do self-esteem and self-efficacy mediate the relationship between perceived discrimination and mental health? Finally, do these relationships and processes differ between African American and Caribbean Black adolescents?Design: Data for these analyses come from the National Survey of American Life - Adolescent Supplement. We use generalized structural equation modeling to examine relationships among perceived discrimination, psychosocial resources, and mental health.Results: For both African American and Caribbean Black adolescents, more frequent perceptions of discriminatory events were associated with greater depressive symptoms and a higher likelihood of having an anxiety disorder diagnosis. However, the association between perceived discrimination and depressive symptoms was significantly stronger for Caribbean Black adolescents. Generally, self-esteem and self-efficacy were found to be significant mediators in the association between perceived discrimination and mental health, although mechanisms varied between African American and Caribbean Black youth.Conclusion: African American and Caribbean Black adolescents are highly susceptible to experiences of discrimination that negatively affect their mental health. Heterogeneity among Black youth populations must be considered when developing interventions to reduce exposure to and the effects of discrimination among these adolescents.
Keywords: Adolescents; depressive symptoms; lifetime anxiety disorder diagnosis; mental health; perceived discrimination; self-efficacy; self-esteem.