Perceived racial/ethnic discrimination, problem behaviors, and mental health among minority urban youth

Abstract

Objectives We examined perceived frequency and intensity of racial/ethnic discrimination and associations with high-risk behaviors/conditions among adolescents. Design With surveys from 2,490 primarily low socioeconomic status, racial/ethnic minority adolescents, we used regression analysis to examine associations between racial/ethnic discrimination and behavioral health outcomes (alcohol use, marijuana use, physical aggression, delinquency, victimization, depression, suicidal ideation, and sexual behaviors). Results Most adolescents (73%) experienced racial/ethnic discrimination and 42% of experiences were “somewhat-” or “very disturbing.” Adolescents reporting frequent and disturbing racial/ethnic discrimination were at increased risk of all measured behaviors, except alcohol and marijuana use. Adolescents who experienced any racial/ethnic discrimination were at increased risk for victimization and depression. Regardless of intensity, adolescents who experienced racial/ethnic discrimination at least occasionally were more likely to report greater physical aggression, delinquency, suicidal ideation, younger age at first oral sex, unprotected sex during last intercourse, and more lifetime sexual partners. Conclusion Most adolescents had experienced racial/ethnic discrimination due to their race/ethnicity. Even occasional experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination likely contribute to maladaptive behavioral and mental health outcomes among adolescents. Prevention and coping strategies are important targets for intervention.

The Effects of Perceived Racial/Ethnic Discrimination on Substance Use Among Youths Living in the Cherokee Nation

“…Tobler and colleagues (2013) found perceived racial-ethnic discrimination to be associated with multiple high-risk behaviors among an urban, racial-ethnic minority youth sample. Similar to our findings, race/ethnicity was not a significant moderator of the observed associations.…”

“…In a Latino adolescent sample, Okamoto and colleagues (2009) found an association between perceived discrimination and smoking, alcohol, marijuana, inhalants, and binge drinking. In the limited number of studies with diverse samples, discrimination was significantly associated with negative health outcomes, yet race was not a significant moderator (e.g., Choi, Harachi, Gillmore, & Catalano, 2006; Tobler et al, 2013). …”

“…A growing body of literature has linked perceived racial discrimination to various negative health outcomes including alcohol and drug use during adolescence (Jones & Galliher, 2015; Tobler et al, 2013). A recent systematic review found racial discrimination to be an important social determinant of health for children and adolescents (Priest et al, 2013).…”

Fifteen-Minute Comprehensive Alcohol Risk Survey: Reliability and Validity Across American Indian and White Adolescents

“…In addition to these proximal and primary outcomes, we included measures of hypothesized intervention effect moderators, including demographic characteristics (i.e., gender; race/ethnicity and tribal membership; family com- Tobler et al, 2013;Wolfe & Kimerling, 1997); Depression (6 items; Kandel & Davies, 1982); and AI (3 items) and White American or Anglo (3 items) Cultural Identity (Oetting & Beauvais, 1991). (A copy of the survey is available on request from the fi rst author.…”

Evaluating the service provision for ethnic minorities in Islington in the treatment of substance misuse

“…Recently, research in the UK and US identified low socio-economic class and poverty as the main factors of mental illness (Tobler et al, 2013, Lê Cook et al, 2011, similar to studies in the US examining ethnic minority populations in substance misuse (Field et al, 2012, Molina et al, 2012. The US research focus was on socio-economic factors, making drug users from poorer backgrounds more vulnerable to contracting HIV and Hepatitis C.…”