The Role of Ethnic Origin on Psychosocial Health in Portugal: An Examination of Risk and Protective Factors

Social inequalities and vulnerability associated with ethnic and social minority status are risk factors for health inequities.

To assess associations between psychosocial health, social discrimination, perceived social support, and resilience among people living in Portugal based on ethnic origin.

This is an observational and cross-sectional study carried out with 756 individuals aged between 18 and 84 (Mean = 39.3; Standard deviation = 13.79). The sample was probabilistic, and participants were recruited through convenience sampling, on online platforms. Participants responded to the Brief Symptom Inventory, Everyday Discrimination Scale, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Participants were divided into two groups, the first consisting of white Portuguese of European origin (majority group, n = 609, 80.56%) and the second consisting of black individuals, Afro-descendants, Roma, and Portuguese-Roma (minority group, n = 147, 19.44%).

Compared to the majority group, the minority group experienced greater structural disadvantages, including lower educational attainment, higher unemployment, and lower income, as well as significantly higher scores for psychological distress, social discrimination, perceived social support, and resilience. Regression analyses revealed that belonging to an ethnic minority predicts psychological distress, even when controlling for other variables. Social discrimination was found to be an important risk factor for psychological distress, while perceived social support and resilience were found to be protective factors.

Our results provide preliminary evidence for developing public social policies to care for ethnic minority groups living in Portugal. Further, findings highlight the high frequency of discrimination reported by this group and its associated mental health problems, which underscore the importance of investing in anti-discrimination campaigns, establishing formal and informal social support mechanisms, and developing social strategies to empower and increase the resilience of these minority groups in Portugal.