School Racial Composition As a Moderator of the Effect of Discrimination on Mental Health and Substance Use Among American Indian Adolescents

Overview

Journal J Adolesc Health

Publisher Elsevier

Specialty Pediatrics

Date 2023 Sep 22

PMID 37737758

Authors

Caroline M Barry

Melvin D Livingston

Bethany J Livingston

Terrence K Kominsky

Kelli A Komro

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose: To examine the relationships between individual-level perceived racial/ethnic discrimination and mental health and substance use outcomes by school-level racial composition among American Indian (AI) adolescents.

Method: Self-reported survey data on individual-level variables come from a sample of AI adolescents (n = 510) living in or near the Cherokee Nation during the fall of 2021. School-level data come from publicly available databases. Multilevel linear and logistic regression analyses were performed to test for and examine the interaction between perceived racial/ethnic discrimination and school racial composition in relation to symptoms of anxiety and depression, past 30-day use of alcohol and marijuana, and misuse of prescription opioids.

Results: Adjusted analyses showed a significant interaction effect between discrimination and racial composition on anxiety symptoms, such that the effect of discrimination was more pronounced at lower % AI (10th percentile) than at more equivalently mixed (50th percentile) or higher % AI (90th percentile) school settings. No significant interactions were observed with depressive symptoms or substance use outcomes.

Discussion: School racial compositions of higher percentage AI may buffer the adverse effect of racial/ethnic discrimination on anxiety symptoms among AI adolescents.

Citing Articles

Ebrahimi C, Song H, Machado M, Segura P, Espinosa A, Polanco-Roman L Soc Sci Med. 2024; 362:117434.

PMID: 39461166 PMC: 11585449. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.117434.

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