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Mental Health and the Intersection of Perceived Discrimination and Social Inequalities Among Students in Germany - a
Laura Pilz González1, Enrique Alonso-Perez2,3, Jennifer Lehnchen1
1Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Health and Nursing Science, Berlin, Germany.
Objectives:
Discrimination poses a threat to the mental health of university students, especially those affected by social inequality, yet understanding its intersectional impact remains limited. This study examines the intersection of social inequalities with perceived discrimination to explore differences in mental health among students in Germany.
Methods:
Data from the cross-sectional project "Survey on study conditions and mental health of university students" (n = 14,592) were analysed using Multilevel Analysis of Individual Heterogeneity and Discriminatory Accuracy (MAIHDA). Depressive symptoms, cognitive stress symptoms, and exhaustion were examined across 48 intersectional strata based on gender, first academic generation, family care tasks, and perceived discrimination.
Results:
The MAIHDA analysis revealed substantial between strata variance, with most of it explained by additive rather than intersectional interaction effects. Perceived discrimination, diverse or female gender, first academic generation, and family care tasks (for exhaustion only) were associated with worse mental health outcomes.
Conclusion:
The profound associations between perceived discrimination and the mental health among university students call for urgent attention and intervention within university settings. Adopting an intersectional lens is key to identifying and addressing inequalities.
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