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Published on: November 19, 2015
An intersectional approach to understanding the correlates of depression in college students: Discrimination, social
Miranda Worthen1, Justin Menchaca1, Michelle Laine1
1Public Health & Recreation, San José State University, San Jose, California, USA.
Objective:
We assessed the impact of bearing multiple marginalized identities, experiencing discrimination and perceived social status on the prevalence of depression in college students using an intersectional approach.
Participants:
Public health students at a diverse urban public university in Northern California (N = 338, response rate = 85%; 77% women, mean age 22).
Methods:
We used a cross-sectional survey to assess demographics, depression, discrimination and social standing using validated scales and estimate the relations between depression and co-factors.
Results:
25.4% of students reported depression. Discrimination was associated with a higher level of depression and more severe symptoms. Higher perceived social status was associated with a lower level of depression and less severe symptoms. Hispanic/Latinx first generation women had three times the prevalence of depression as non-Hispanic/Latinx non-first generation men and there was a significant disparity in depression severity.
Conclusions:
Intersectional approaches can shed light on the experiences of marginalized groups.
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