Discrimination, psychological functioning, and substance use among U.S. young adults aged 18-28, 2017

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Substance Use Research
• Health Disparities

Background:

• Perceived discrimination is a significant stressor impacting mental health.
• Young adulthood is a critical period for substance use initiation and escalation.
• Understanding the interplay between discrimination, mental health, and substance use is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between discrimination and current substance use (alcohol, cigarettes, e-cigarettes, marijuana, illicit drugs) among young Black and White adults.
• To investigate psychological distress (PD) and positive well-being (PW) as mediators in the discrimination-substance use relationship.
• To determine if race and sex moderate these associations.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from a 2017 U.S. nationally representative survey of 2,192 young adults (18-28 years).
• Employed multiple-group moderated mediation analyses to assess direct and indirect effects.
• Examined subgroup differences based on race (Black/White) and sex (male/female).

Main Results:

• Discrimination was positively associated with PD and negatively with PW across all groups.
• Discrimination predicted increased use of other illicit drugs and marijuana (mediated by PD) and varied effects on alcohol and cigarette use.
• Indirect effects of discrimination on substance use through PD and PW differed significantly by race and sex, with unique pathways observed for Black males and Black females.

Conclusions:

• Perceived discrimination negatively influences current substance use among young Black and White adults.
• Psychological distress and positive well-being partially mediate the link between discrimination and substance use, particularly for Black males.
• Future research should consider race and sex differences and mental health mediators in discrimination and substance use studies.