Perceived discrimination and psychological distress among Mainland Chinese immigrant women in Hong Kong: The indirect effects of tolerance of uncertainty and common dyadic coping.

Abstract

Objectives: By studying Mainland Chinese immigrant women who married Hong Kong men, this study examined the association between their perceived discrimination and psychological distress after the 2019-2020 social movement in Hong Kong. Additionally, this study examined the indirect effects of individual coping strategies (tolerance of uncertainty) and couples' coping strategies (common dyadic coping), guided by the cultural and developmental psychopathology framework. Method: Ninety-nine Mainland Chinese immigrant women who married Hong Kong men participated in this cross-sectional survey. Results: We found a positive association between perceived discrimination and psychological distress (r = .50, p < .01). Reduced uncertainty tolerance and low levels of common dyadic coping both showed indirect effects on the discrimination-psychological distress association. Tolerance of uncertainty had a larger indirect effect than common dyadic coping. Conclusions: Focusing on the psychological adjustment of immigrant women facing discrimination, our findings underscore the importance of preserving individual-and couple-level resources. Public Significance StatementGuided by the cultural and developmental psychopathology framework, this study identified two indirect effects (reduced tolerance of uncertainty and impaired common dyadic coping) on the discrimination-psychological distress association among Mainland Chinese immigrant women married to Hong Kong men. Our findings highlight the importance of both individual and couples' resources to facilitate these immigrant women's mental health, which can inform future intervention programs.