Discrimination, Depression, and Anxiety Among US Adults

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Mental Health Research
• Sociology

Background:

• Discrimination poses a significant threat to mental well-being across diverse populations.
• Understanding the nuanced relationship between discrimination and mental health outcomes is crucial for public health initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between experiences of discrimination and mental health outcomes, specifically depression and anxiety.
• To explore how these associations differ across racial and ethnic groups and by sex.

Main Methods:

• Utilized cross-sectional data from 29,522 US adults from the 2023 National Health Interview Survey.
• Employed the Everyday Discrimination Scale to measure discrimination exposure and the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2 scales for mental health screening.
• Conducted multinomial logistic regression analyses and interaction tests to examine associations and effect modifications.

Main Results:

• Increased discrimination exposure was associated with higher odds of depression and anxiety.
• Low and high exposure to discrimination significantly increased the odds of positive screening results for depression and anxiety compared to no exposure.
• The association between discrimination and mental health outcomes varied by race and ethnicity, but not by sex.

Conclusions:

• Discrimination is significantly associated with adverse mental health outcomes, including depression and anxiety, in the US adult population.
• The varying impact of discrimination across racial and ethnic groups underscores the need for culturally sensitive mental health strategies.
• Further research and increased awareness are essential to address the mental health implications of discrimination.