Within-Person Associations Between Racial Microaggressions and Mental Health Among Emerging Adults

• In Event: Poster Session 05
  In Poster Session: PS 05 Topic - Race, Ethnicity, Culture, Context

Abstract

Most research on racial discrimination has focused on overt experiences, with less attention given to more subtle forms experienced by marginalized groups during day-to-day interactions, known as racial microaggressions (Sue et al., 2007). Research suggests that these experiences are common among young adults of color on college campuses, particularly at Predominantly White Institutions (PWI) (Boysen, 2012; Allen & Solórzano, 2001). Limited past research has indicated that the frequent exposure to racial microaggressions can impact one’s psychological well-being (Bourke, 2010; Clark, Anderson, Clark, & Williams,1999). Most of the research examining racial microaggressions among Latino/a and African American emerging adults, however, has been using cross-sectional data and focused on between-person associations. This study utilized a weekly diary method to assess individual-level fluctuations in racial microaggressions in relation to fluctuations in anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Latinx and African American college students (N=145) attending a Midwestern PWI participated in a four-week diary study. Ninety-one students (62.8%) identified as African American and 54 students (37.2) identified as Latinx. The majority of participants were female (69.0%), and were, on average, 20 years old (range 18 – 25; SD = 1.24). Racial microaggressions, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms were assessed each week via online diary entries. Microaggressions were assessed using the Racial and Ethnic Microaggressions Scale (REMS; Nadal, 2011), depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D; Radloff. 1977), and anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Scale (GAD-7; Spitzer, 2006.) Given the nested structure of the data, we utilized multilevel modeling and examined contemporaneous and lagged within-person effects of racial microaggressions on mental health symptoms. We hypothesized that on weeks that emerging adults experienced higher than average levels of microaggressions, they would also report higher levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms that week, showing immediate effects. Additionally, we hypothesized that these effects would persist, impacting emerging adults’ depressive and anxiety symptoms the following week.

Across the study, emerging adults reported, on average, 4 microaggressions a week. Nearly 90% of all young adults reported at least one event across the study period. Results indicated a within-person effect on depressive symptoms; on weeks that students reported more racial microaggressions, they reported greater depressive symptoms (Table 1). Effects were not present, however, in the lagged analyses, suggesting that racial microaggressions did not impact emerging adults’ depressive symptoms the next week. For anxiety symptoms (Table 2), a within-person effect emerged in same-week analyses; on weeks that students reported more racial microaggressions, they reported more anxiety symptoms. This effect persisted in the lagged analyses, suggesting that on weeks that emerging adults reported more racial microaggressions, they reported greater anxiety symptoms the following week (controlling for the previous week’s symptoms).
Overall, experiences of racial microaggressions negatively impacted the mental health of emerging adults, suggesting that despite their subtlety, they can have immediate and long-lasting effects. To improve the mental health of students of color, college staff, faculty and administrators at PWIs should facilitate trainings that reduce instances of racial microaggressions.

Authors

• Evelyn Danilova Sarsar, University of Arizona
  Presenting Author

• Katharine Zeiders, University of Arizona
  Non-Presenting Author

• Antoinette M. Landor, University of Missouri - Columbia
  Non-Presenting Author

• Kayla M. Osman, University of Arizona
  Non-Presenting Author