The objectives of the current study were to document the effects of discrimination on Latino mental health and to identify the circumstances by which ethnic identity serves a protective function. Instances of discrimination and depressive symptoms were measured every day for 13 days in a sample of Latino adults (N = 91). Multilevel random coefficient modeling showed a 1-day lagged effect in which increases in depression were observed the day following a discriminatory event. The findings also revealed differential effects of ethnic identity exploration and commitment. Whereas ethnic identity exploration was found to exacerbate the influence of daily discrimination on next-day depression, ethnic identity commitment operated as a stress buffer, influencing the intensity of and recovery from daily discrimination. The findings are discussed within a stress and coping perspective that identifies appropriate cultural resources for decreasing the psychological consequences associated with daily discrimination.The growing Latino population in the United States along with the increased national attention on immigration has highlighted the need to understand the nature of stressor exposure and stressor reactivity among Latinos. Discrimination-related stressors have been found to have a profound impact on the mental health of ethnic minority groups (Brondolo et al., 2009). Recently, it has been reported that young U.S.-born Latinos are more likely to perceive discrimination compared with older Latinos (Perez, Fortuna, & Alegria, 2008). This pattern is particularly noteworthy given that a majority of the current Latino population is U.S.-born (U.S. Census Bureau, 2007). In addition, U.S.-born Latinos have been found to have higher rates of depression than their immigrant counterparts (Alegria et al., 2007). A stress and coping perspective provides a framework for understanding the ways in which Latinos respond to discriminatory events and for explaining how living in the United States may place Latinos at risk for experiencing mental health difficulties. Ethnic identity offers an important set of resources that may serve as a buffer from the adverse psychological effects of discrimination-related stress.NOT THE PUBLISHED VERSION; this is the author's final, peer-reviewed manuscript. The published version may be accessed by following the link in the citation at the bottom of the page.Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, Vol. 16, No. 4 (2010): pg. 561-568. DOI. This article is © American Psychological Association and permission has been granted for this version to appear in e-Publications@Marquette. American Psychological Association does not grant permission for this article to be further copied/distributed or hosted elsewhere without the express permission from American Psychological Association. 3 DiscriminationNumerous reports have identified the negative impact of discrimination 1 on psychological outcomes, particularly depression, among various ethnic groups (cf., Brondolo et al., 2009; Ong, Fuller...

Prior research has found that perceived discrimination is associated with adverse mental health outcomes among Latinos. However, the process by which this relationship occurs remains an understudied area. The present study investigated the role of acculturative stress in underlying the relationship between perceived discrimination and Latino psychological distress. Also examined was the ability of acculturation to serve as a moderator between perceived discrimination and acculturative stress. Among a sample of Latino adults (N=669), moderated mediational analyses revealed that acculturative stress mediated the perceived discrimination-psychological distress relationship, and that the link between perceived discrimination and acculturative stress was moderated by Anglo behavioral orientation but not Latino behavioral orientation. The findings are discussed within a stress and coping perspective that identifies the psychological consequences associated with perceived discrimination and acculturative stress.

racial microaggressions and their influence on mental health were examined among african american doctoral students and graduates of doctoral programs. using a mixed-methods approach, the current study first identified the types of microaggressions reported by african american participants (N = 97) and then investigated the mechanism by which these experiences influence mental health over time with a separate sample of african americans (N = 107). the qualitative findings revealed three categories of microaggressions including assumption of Criminality/Second-Class Citizen, underestimation of Personal ability, and Cultural/racial isolation. the quantitative analyses found support for a moderatedmediational model by which underestimation of Personal ability was associated with greater perceived stress at one-year follow-up, which in turn was related to greater depressive symptoms. active coping was found to moderate the racial microaggression-perceived stress link such that individuals who endorse active coping behaviors reported lower perceived stress. these findings are discussed in terms of practical and theoretical implications regarding the role of racial microaggressions in the lives of high-achieving african americans and the mechanisms by which these experiences contribute to mental health problems.

Past research has noted that aspects of living in the United States place Latinos at risk for experiencing psychological problems. However, the specific features of the adaptation process that contribute to depression remain unclear. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the ability of acculturation, acculturative stress, and coping to predict membership into low, medium, and high groups of depression among Latinos. Within a group of 148 Latino adults from the community, a multinomial logistic regression revealed that an Anglo orientation, English competency pressures, and active coping differentiated high from low depression and that a Latino orientation and, to some extent, the pressure to acculturate distinguished medium from low depression. These results highlight a pattern of characteristics that function as risk and protective factors in relation to level of symptom severity. The findings are discussed in terms of implications for Latino mental health, including considerations for intervention and prevention.

Although ethnic microaggressions have received increased empirical attention in recent years, there remains a paucity of research regarding how these subtle covert forms of discrimination contribute to Latino mental health. The present study examined the role of traumatic stress symptoms underlying the relationship between ethnic microaggressions and depression. Further, ethnic identity and general self-efficacy were tested as moderators between the ethnic microaggressions and traumatic stress link. Among a sample of 113 Latino adults, moderated mediational analyses revealed statistically significant conditional indirect effects in which traumatic stress symptoms mediated the relationship between ethnic microaggressions and depression while ethnic identity and self-efficacy functioned as moderators. The major findings suggested that the indirect effects were the most robust within low ethnic identity and low self-efficacy. The findings are discussed within a stress and coping framework that highlight the internal resources and stress responses associated with experiencing ethnic microaggressions.