Citation

Stein GL, Supple AJ, Huq N, Dunbar AS, Prinstein MJ. Dev. Psychol. 2016; 52(2): 259-271.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, American Psychological Association)

DOI

10.1037/a0039902

PMID

26569567

Abstract

Although perceived ethnic/racial discrimination is well established as a risk factor for depressive symptoms in ethnic minority youth, few studies have examined their longitudinal relationship over time. This study examined whether a negative attributional style, positive ethnic/racial affect, and emotional reactivity moderated the longitudinal relationship of perceived peer or adult discrimination and depressive symptoms in a sample of African American and Latino high school students (n = 155). African American and Latino youth who experienced increases in perceived peer discrimination also reported greater depressive symptoms over time, but positive ethnic/racial affect buffered the longitudinal association. Emotional reactivity also served as a significant moderator but only of the baseline association between perceived peer discrimination and depressive symptoms. Thus, perceived ethnic/racial discrimination appears to play a significant role in the development of depressive symptoms for ethnic minority youth, especially those who start high school with lower levels of positive ethnic/racial affect.

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Language: en