Overt and Subtle Discrimination and Psychological Well-Being: Examining the Mediating and Moderating Role of Ethnic-Racial Identity Among Emerging Adults

Tuğçe Aral*, Chiara Ceccon, Elisabeth L. de Moor, Yixin Tang, Mariëlle Osinga, Mariam Fishere, Moin Syed

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

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    Abstract

    Ethnic-racial identity (ERI) has been reported as mediator and moderator of the relation between discrimination and psychological well-being. However, it remains unclear how different forms of discrimination (i.e., overt and subtle) predict well-being over time, and whether ERI exploration and commitment mediate or moderate this association. This preregistered study explored the associations of overt and subtle discrimination with well-being (i.e., depression, substance use, life satisfaction) in a sample of 323 ethnic-racial minoritized college students (M age W1 = 18.03, 62.7% female) from longitudinal data collected in the US. Cross-lagged panel models across three waves indicated no associations of overt discrimination, but participants experiencing more subtle discrimination during their transition to college reported more depressive symptoms after four months. Ethnic-racial identity did not function as mediator or moderator. Findings indicate the need for a more nuanced understanding of the role of ERI during emerging adulthood.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)410-425
    Number of pages16
    JournalEmerging Adulthood
    Volume12
    Issue number3
    Early online date7-Mar-2024
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Jun-2024

    Keywords

    • emerging adulthood
    • ethnic-racial identity
    • overt and subtle discrimination
    • psychological well-being

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