Perceptions of peer mental health: impact of race and student-athlete status.

Objective: This study used a multi-faceted methodological approach to examine if peer perceptions of stereotyped student groups' mental health needs varied by target race and student-athlete status.Participants: In Study 1, 502 university students completed an online experiment. Study 2 data were drawn from the American College Health Association (ACHA)-National College Health Assessment (N = 65,167) and Healthy Minds Study (N = 43,487).Methods: Study 1 participants rated the severity of various mental health concerns for Black non-student-athletes, White non-student-athletes, Black student-athletes, or White student-athletes. Study 2 conceptualized peer perceptions vis-à-vis mental health patterns in national data.Results: Study 1 generally revealed lower perceived severity of mental health concerns for Black non-student-athletes. In contrast, Study 2 patterns revealed more variations across student status groups, including that Black non-student-athletes exhibited relatively high prevalence rates of numerous mental health concerns.Conclusions: Results may suggest mental health under-/over-pathologizing, with implications for training and peer-to-peer mental health interventions.

A qualitative examination of familial racial-ethnic socialization experiences among multiracial American emerging adults.

This qualitative interview study investigated the types of parental racial-ethnic socialization messages received by Multiracial American youth over the course of their development. The Multiracial population in America is the largest demographic group among individuals under the age of 18 (Saulny, 2011), but there is a dearth of research about the development of this rapidly growing population. Multiracial youth are members of multiple racial-ethnic groups. Thus, racial-ethnic socialization is particularly complex for Multiracial families because parents typically have different racial backgrounds and experiences compared to their children. Interviews were conducted with 20 Multiracial emerging adult college students (Mage = 20.55; 10 male, 10 female) of diverse racial backgrounds to identify the types of parental racial-ethnic socialization messages they received growing up. Using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006), nine themes of racial-ethnic socialization content emerged: Cultural socialization, racial identity socialization, preparation for bias socialization, colorblind socialization, race-conscious socialization, diversity appreciation socialization, negative socialization, exposure to diversity socialization, and silent socialization. This research advances the literature by (a) identifying domains of racial-ethnic socialization messages for Multiracial American families, (b) examining a diverse sample of male and female Multiracial youth, (c) differentiating monoracial versus Multiracial socialization messages, and (d) distinguishing the unique connotations of egalitarian socialization messages (e.g., colorblind, race-conscious, diversity appreciation). The findings have important implications for understanding the development of Multiracial American individuals and families. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Validation of the Multiracial Youth Socialization (MY-Soc) Scale among racially diverse multiracial emerging adults.

Multiracial children are the largest demographic group in the United States among individuals under the age of 18 (Pew Research Center, 2015), but their developmental processes are understudied. Parents and caregivers play an important role in preparing youth to navigate racialized society by teaching them to understand what it means to be a member of a racial-ethnic group (Hughes et al., 2006). However, this process is more complex in multiracial families, where youth belong to multiple racial-ethnic groups. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to develop and validate the first measure of racial-ethnic socialization for Multiracial youth, the Multiracial Youth Socialization (MY-Soc) Scale, to assess the unique messages that are communicated in multiracial families regarding topics of race, ethnicity, and culture. Using a sample of 901 Multiracial emerging adults (mage = 22.43), we separately captured the socialization practices of two of the youths' primary caregivers from the youths' perspective. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a 62-item scale measuring eight types of socialization: Navigating Multiple Heritages Socialization, Multiracial Identity Socialization, Preparation for Monoracism Socialization, Negative Socialization, Colorblind Socialization, Diversity Appreciation Socialization, Race-Conscious Socialization, and Silent Socialization. The MY-Soc Scale was also supported by validity and reliability tests. This study contributes an important tool for scholars and practitioners to learn which racial-ethnic socialization messages are promotive for Multiracial youth development in different contexts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

In or out of the game? Counter-stereotype paradoxes and Asian-identified student-athlete mental health.

OBJECTIVE: This study examines stressors (i.e., discrimination and stereotypes) and buffers (i.e., exercise) relevant to Asian-identified student-athletes' mental health. The study tests a set of counter-stereotype paradox hypotheses positing that conforming to idealized stereotypes of Asians exacerbates discrimination-mental health links. METHOD: Data were drawn from the 2015-2019 cohorts of the Healthy Minds Study. Regression-based moderations were used to test counter-stereotype paradox hypotheses and a buffering model of exercise. RESULTS: A-student status was a moderator of the discrimination and lower positive mental health link, and gender and body mass index (BMI) were moderators of the discrimination and anxiety and lower positive mental health links. Consistent with counter-stereotype paradoxes, discrimination and these mental health indicators were significantly correlated for Asian-identified student-athletes who reported being A-students or being underweight/normal-weight women. Results contradicted the counter-stereotype paradox for the discrimination-suicidality relation, which was significant for student-athletes reporting B-grades or lower and not significant for A-students. Exercise appeared to buffer discrimination-mental health associations for depression, anxiety, positive mental health, and disordered eating concerns. CONCLUSIONS: Results challenge the oft-celebrated Asian American model minority image and signify how both conforming and failing to conform to stereotypes can have benefits and liabilities for Asian-identified student-athletes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Looking forward to student-athlete mental health: Racial/ethnic trends from 2010 to 2015.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined trends in functionally impairing depression, significant anxiety, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts among college student-athletes across time, racial/ethnic group, and student-athlete standing. PARTICIPANTS: The sample consisted of 39,840 White, Black, Hispanic/Latinx, Asian/Pacific Islander, Native American, and Multiracial students who reported participating in "varsity" level college athletics in the past 12 months during the Spring 2010-2015 administrations of the American College of Health Association National College Health Assessment II. METHODS: Chi-square and difference in proportion tests compared mental health rates across time, racial/ethnic groups, and student-athlete status (student-athlete versus non-athlete). RESULTS: Findings suggested a lack of differences in mental health rates between 2010 and 2015, with the exception of a higher rate of anxiety for White student-athletes in 2015. Racial/ethnic comparisons pointed to relatively consistent heightened risks for depression and suicide concerns among Asian/Pacific Islander and Multiracial student-athletes compared to White student-athletes. Student-athlete status appeared most consistently to benefit White student-athletes, whereas there was evidence of potential liability of student-athlete status for Asian/Pacific Islander student-athletes. CONCLUSIONS: Results make the case for adopting a racially/ethnically aware cultural lens when conceptualizing mental health risk and resilience among student-athletes.

The roles of ethnic identity and metastereotype awareness in the racial discrimination-psychological adjustment link for Asian Americans at predominantly White universities.

OBJECTIVES: The literature on Asian Americans yields mixed findings regarding the protective effects of ethnic identity on the racial discrimination-psychological distress link (Park, Schwartz, Lee, Kim, & Rodriguez, 2013). This study introduces metastereotype awareness (MSA; the awareness one has regarding stereotypes others hold of their group) into this relationship, focusing on the stereotype of Asians as unsociable. METHOD: We examined a 3-way interaction between racial discrimination, ethnic identity commitment, and MSA on a latent psychological distress variable among a sample of Asian American emerging adults attending predominantly White universities (N = 276, 60% female, mean age = 20). RESULTS: Structural equation modeling suggested a significant 3-way interaction in which the protective role of ethnic identity commitment varied depending on the level of MSA. Specifically, high levels of ethnic identity commitment buffered the racial discrimination-psychological distress link for individuals reporting high levels of MSA. Furthermore, low levels of ethnic identity commitment buffered the discrimination-psychological distress link for Asian American students reporting low levels of MSA. In contrast, a positive link between discrimination and psychological distress persisted for Asian American students reporting a combination of high ethnic identity and low MSA and vice versa. CONCLUSION: In summary, Asian American college students who had high levels of both ethnic identity commitment and MSA or low levels on both variables were protected from psychological distress associated with racial discrimination. These findings illuminate the nuanced relationship between racial discrimination, ethnic identity commitment, and MSA in predicting psychological distress outcomes for Asian Americans. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Under the face mask: Racial-ethnic minority student-athletes and mental health use.

Objective: To investigate racial-ethnic minority student-athletes' (REMSA) symptoms of distress (mental health need), mental health use (usage rate), and factors that influence mental health usage. Participants: There were 241 varsity athletes (African American = 108, Latinos = 66, Asian American= 67) from the American College Health Association Fall 2015 data set. Results: Seventy-eight percent of REMSA reported some form of mental health need and only 11% of these athletes in need reported using mental health services in the past year. Additionally, a binominal logistic regression was run to identify demographic and mental health predictors of mental health use. Higher stress (ß = 1.58, OR = 3.49, p < .01) and having upperclassman standing (ß = 1.07, OR = 3.91, p < .05) predicted service use for athletes. Conclusions: Mental health professionals should be aware of the high mental health need for REMSA and the low usage rate of mental health services.

Pathways to ethnic-racial identity development and psychological adjustment: The differential associations of cultural socialization by parents and peers.

Ethnic-racial identity (ERI) development is a central developmental process for youth of color. Although a great deal of research establishes the importance of cultural socialization by parents to the development of ERI, limited empirical work has examined peers' role in these processes. This study uses 4 cross-sectional data sets (N = 127, 312, 257, and 238, mean age = 17.96-18.24) followed by a meta-analytic summary to test a path model of ERI development and parent and peer cultural socialization and their associations with psychological adjustment in a diverse sample of emerging adults. The final sample size adjusted meta-analytic model indicated that parent ethnic socialization predicted both ERI exploration and commitment while only peer preparation for bias predicted ERI commitment. In turn, ERI commitment and exploration predicted more positive mental health. The findings of this study highlight the importance of both parents and peers to cultural socialization processes during emerging adulthood. In particular, this study suggests that the messages peers impart about prejudice play a unique role in the development of ERI. The findings have important implications about the unique role peers play in communicating messages about prejudice as well as for ERI and the psychological adjustment of youth of color at this developmental stage. Additionally, these cross-sectional findings provide a preliminary but robust model from which researchers can frame future longitudinal work in this area. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Socialization and well-being in multiracial individuals: A moderated mediation model of racial ambiguity and identity.

Scholarly interest in racial socialization is growing, but researchers' understanding of how and when racial socialization relates to well-being is underdeveloped, particularly for multiracial populations. The present study investigated moderated mediation models to understand whether the indirect relations of egalitarian socialization to subjective well-being and self-esteem through integrated multiracial identification were conditional on phenotypic racial ambiguity among 383 multiracial adults. Tests of moderated mediation in primary analyses were significant for subjective well-being and self-esteem. Consistent with the hypotheses, egalitarian socialization was linked to a stronger multiracial integrated identity, which was positively associated with subjective well-being and self-esteem for those with moderate and high phenotypic racial ambiguity. This indirect effect was not significant for those reporting low phenotypic racial ambiguity. Results suggested a positive role of egalitarian socialization in relation to integrated identity and well-being for multiracial adults. This study highlights a culturally relevant pathway through which egalitarian socialization impacts well-being through racial identification for multiracial adults and the conditions of phenotypic racial ambiguity that contextualize this indirect effect. (PsycINFO Database Record

At what costs? Student loan debt, debt stress, and racially/ethnically diverse college students' perceived health.

OBJECTIVES: There has been little research on the direct and indirect connections between student loan debt and health. The present study tested a transactional stress model (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984a) of student loan debt in which the appraisal of debt as stressful was proposed to mediate the associations between student loan debt amount and perceived health (i.e., self-rated general health, depressive symptomatology). METHOD: The present study draws on a racially/ethnically diverse college student sample (N = 1,412) from the National Longitudinal Survey of Freshman (NLSF). Structural equation modeling (SEM) with robust maximum likelihood (MLR) estimation was used to test the fit of the transactional stress model and compare it with an alternative model (that is, Schachter and Singer's (1962) two factor). Multigroup analyses were conducted to test racial/ethnic differences. RESULTS: SEM results indicated good fit of the transactional stress model and suggested its superiority to the alternative two-factor model. Multigroup SEM analyses revealed racial/ethnic differences. Whereas for Black/African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, and White Americans, appraisal of debt as stressful was linked to poorer general health and more depressive symptomatology, these associations were nonsignificant for Asian Americans. Tests of indirect effects indicated that the mediating role of debt stress was most consistently significant for Black/African Americans and Hispanic/Latino Americans compared with Asian and, to a lesser extent, White Americans. CONCLUSIONS: Results affirm the potential health impact of both student loan debt amount and the subjective appraisal of stress associated with student loan debt as significant stressors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Disordered eating among Asian American college women: A racially expanded model of objectification theory.

Objectification theory has been applied to understand disordered eating among college women. A recent extension of objectification theory (Moradi, 2010) conceptualizes racism as a socialization experience that shapes women of color's objectification experiences, yet limited research has examined this theoretical assertion. The present study proposed and examined a racially expanded model of objectification theory that postulated perceived racial discrimination, perpetual foreigner racism, and racial/ethnic teasing as correlates of Asian American college women's (N = 516) self-objectification processes and eating disorder symptomatology. Perceived racial discrimination, perpetual foreigner racism, and racial/ethnic teasing were indirectly associated with eating disordered symptomatology through self-objectification processes of internalization of media ideals of beauty (media internalization), body surveillance, and body shame. Results support the inclusion of racial stressors as contexts of objectification for Asian American women. The present findings also underscore perceived racial discrimination, racial/ethnic teasing, and perpetual foreigner racism as group-specific risk factors with major theoretical, empirical, and clinical relevance to eating disorder research and treatment with Asian American college women. (PsycINFO Database Record

Linking parental socialization about discrimination to intergroup attitudes: The role of social dominance orientation and cultural identification.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the interaction of parental socialization about discrimination and social dominance orientation (SDO) in predicting the cultural identity and intergroup attitudes of the Minnanese, an ethnic group in Taiwan that faced systematic discrimination during the early decades of Chinese Nationalist rule. Because high SDO individuals tend to support group-based dominance, we hypothesized that under high preparation for bias, which may reinforce narratives that place the historically disadvantaged Taiwanese in a subordinate position, Minnanese high in SDO would identify less with Taiwanese and more with Chinese (the historically high-status outgroup) compared with their low SDO counterparts. METHOD: We examined our hypotheses using a sample of Minnanese (N = 365; 183 women, 182 men; average age = 44.35) who participated in a nationally representative survey of Taiwanese adults. RESULTS: As predicted, among Minnanese exposed to high levels of preparation for bias, those with high SDO expressed greater levels of Chinese identification and more favorable attitudes toward Chinese than their low SDO counterparts (no difference was found in attitudes toward Taiwanese). Among Minnanese exposed to low levels of preparation for bias, SDO predicted neither Chinese nor Taiwanese identity. Moreover, the interaction effect of preparation for bias and SDO on attitudes toward Chinese was mediated by Chinese identity. CONCLUSION: Using a unique, non-Western sample, this study demonstrated the role that parental socialization about past discrimination, in combination with belief in group-based dominance, plays in the construction of group identity and intergroup attitudes among members of historically disadvantaged ethnic groups. (PsycINFO Database Record

Parental ethnic-racial socialization and social attitudes among ethnic-racial minority and White American emerging adults.

This article utilizes moderated mediation analyses to explore whether the relations between parental ethnic-racial socialization (PERS) dimensions and social attitudes differ across ethnic-racial minority (n = 128) and White (n = 131) college-going emerging adults. We examined social dominance orientation (SDO) as an index of antiegalitarian intergroup attitudes and attitudes toward interpersonal harmony as an index of interpersonal attitudes. We tested whether there were ethnic-racial variations in mediation models in which each type of PERS dimension was expected to be linked to greater antiegalitarian attitudes (greater SDO), which, in turn, was predicted to be associated with less prosocial attitudes (lower harmony enhancement). Results indicated that more frequent cultural socialization and preparation for bias were linked to greater SDO for the White sample, but not for the ethnic-minority sample. Moderation results were nonsignificant for promotion of mistrust, with results indicating a positive link to SDO, regardless of racial-ethnic status. Moderated mediation analyses further revealed indirect effects of cultural socialization and preparation for bias on interpersonal attitudes through SDO for the White sample, but not for the ethnic-minority sample. Specifically, greater cultural socialization and preparation for bias each were linked to greater SDO, which, in turn, was associated with less positive perceptions of the value of maintaining interpersonal harmony for White respondents. Practical applications, including social justice implications, of the results and possibilities for future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

Far from fairness: Prejudice, skin color, and psychological functioning in Asian Americans.

OBJECTIVES: We explored the moderating role of observed skin color in the association between prejudice and concurrent and lagged psychological functioning (i.e., depression, ingroup/outgroup psychological connectedness). We further aimed to understand gender differences in these processes. METHOD: Data from 821 Asian American undergraduate students (57.5% female and 42.5% male) were drawn from the National Longitudinal Survey of Freshman. Cross-sectional and longitudinal regression-based moderation models were conducted with PROCESS 2.13 for SPSS. RESULTS: Lighter skin color nullified the association between prejudice and recent depression for Asian American females. This moderating effect did not hold over time with regards to depression symptoms 1 year later. Additionally, prejudice predicted psychological distance to other Asian students 1 year later among females rated as lighter in skin color, whereas prejudice was tied to psychological closeness for females with darker skin ratings. CONCLUSIONS: Results highlight skin color as a pertinent factor relevant to the short-term and long-term mental health and social experiences of Asian American women in particular. (PsycINFO Database Record

Bullying among Urban Mexican-heritage Youth: Exploring Risk for Substance Use by Status as a Bully, Victim, and Bully-Victim.

Little is known about adolescent bullying behavior and its relationship to substance use in ethnic minority populations. In a sample of youth of Mexican heritage, the current study aimed to examine the prevalence of bullying behavior subtypes and its co-occurrence with recent alcohol, cigarette, and inhalant use. Data come from a school-based substance use prevention study in the Southwestern U.S. (n=809). We explored the prevalence of bullying behavior by status among youth classified as bullies, victims, bully-victims, and rarely-involved bully-victims in an urban context. We also investigated risk of past 30-day use of alcohol, cigarettes, and inhalants by bullying behavior status. Compared to non-involved youth, rarely-involved bully-victims were more likely to use alcohol, bullies were more likely to engage in alcohol and cigarette use, and bully-victims were more likely to use alcohol, cigarettes, and inhalants. In contrast, victims were not significantly at risk of substance use compared to non-involved youth. Chronic bullies and bully-victims are particularly at risk for substance use, with chronic bully-victims reflecting the greatest risk of using multiple substances. Prevention and early intervention programs aimed to reduce bullying can also work to decrease other risky behaviors, such as substance use, and should attend to the growing ethnic diversity among youth.

"What are you?" Multiracial individuals' responses to racial identification inquiries.

OBJECTIVES: Guided by a racial microaggression framework and utilizing a mixed-method approach, this study explores multiracial individuals' interpersonal experiences and perceptions of racial identification inquiries--queries directed toward them as others attempt to determine their racial background (e.g., "What are you?"). METHODS: As part of an online study, multiracial college students (n = 40) were presented with a hypothetical situation in which racial identification inquiries were delivered by a White, racial minority, or racially unspecified communicator. Qualitative analyses identified the categories and thematic codes of participants' open-ended explanations of the personal relevance of these hypothetical situations and proposed endings. Nonparametric tests examined differences in situation, affect, and communication partner ratings based on race of the communicator. RESULTS: Findings affirmed that racial identification inquiries are commonly reported by diverse multiracial individuals (92.5% of the present sample). Qualitative coding of participants' explanations of personal relevance and proposed endings for the hypothetical situations, as well as ratings of situation, affect, and communication partner, revealed both positive and negative characterizations ascribed to racial identification inquiry experiences. Participants who imagined the queries came from a White communicator allotted less time to continuing the conversation than those in the control condition (communicator race unspecified). CONCLUSIONS: A racial microaggression framework was relevant but not sufficient in reflecting the complex nature of racial identification inquiries for multiracial individuals. The insights into multiracial individuals' perceptions of these stimuli encourage more critical and dynamic thinking about racial categorization systems and interpersonal racial processes for this underrepresented but growing population.

Personal discrimination and satisfaction with life: Exploring perceived functional effects of Asian American race/ethnicity as a moderator.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to understand the relations between experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination, perceptions of the harmful or helpful effects of one's Asian American race/ethnicity within educational and occupational contexts (perceived functional effects), and well-being (i.e., satisfaction with life). A primary focus was to evaluate whether the association between racial/ethnic discrimination and satisfaction with life varied based on the degree to which Asian Americans believe that their race or ethnicity is helpful or harmful to educational and occupational functioning. METHOD: This study draws on nationally representative data from ethnically diverse Asian American adults (N = 3,335) and utilizes weighted descriptive, correlational, and logistic regression moderation analyses. RESULTS: Ethnic variations emerged across analyses. Logistic regression analyses revealed a significant moderation effect for Chinese and Filipino Americans. Follow-up analyses revealed a protective effect of perceiving more positive or helpful functional effects in nullifying the link between discrimination and dissatisfaction with life for Chinese Americans. By contrast, viewing more harmful functional effects had a buffering effect for Filipino Americans. CONCLUSIONS: Results have implications for conceptualizing the potential impact of perspectives that imply Asian American advantage or disadvantage. Opportunities to apply and extend these initial findings are discussed.

You speak English well! Asian Americans' reactions to an exceptionalizing stereotype.

This study examined a specific type of racial microaggression known as an exceptionalizing stereotype, in which an action is framed as interpersonally complimentary but perpetuates negative stereotypical views of a racial/ethnic group. Asian American participants (N = 68) were assigned to 1 of 3 brief semistructured interview conditions that highlight an exceptionalizing stereotype of Asian Americans to varying degrees. In the low racially loaded condition, participants were told, "You speak English well" by a White confederate. In the high racially loaded condition, they were told, "You speak English well for an Asian." In the control condition, the confederate said, "Nice talking to you." Only participants in the high racially loaded condition rated their partner, the interaction, and future interactions less favorably than participants in the control condition. They also evaluated their partner and interaction less positively than participants in the low racial loading condition. The results suggest exceptionalizing stereotypes can be interpersonally damaging for Asian Americans.