Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health, 1518 Clifton Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
Am J Orthopsychiatry. 2011 Oct;81(4):498-506. doi: 10.1111/j.1939-0025.2011.01122.x.
There is increasing evidence that experiencing discrimination may contribute to poor mental health among Black Americans. However, few studies have distinguished between discrimination attributed to race versus other forms of discrimination or have compared differences in their psychological implications. Using nationally representative data on 5,191 Black Americans in the National Survey of American Life (NSAL; 2001-2003), this study examined serious psychological distress (SPD) in relation to discrimination attributed to racial versus nonracial causes and also investigated whether racial group identification may be a buffer. We found that discrimination was associated with greater odds of SPD, regardless of attribution. Racial attributions were associated with higher odds of SPD compared with attributions to nonracial causes for each level of discrimination. High racial group identification buffered the negative effect of moderate levels of both racially and nonracially attributed discrimination. Our results provide evidence for the negative influence of discrimination on SPD among Black Americans and indicate that high racial group identification may somewhat mitigate their negative mental health effects. Our study suggests that discrimination and racial group identification should be addressed to protect against psychological distress among Black Americans.
越来越多的证据表明，经历歧视可能会导致美国黑人的心理健康状况不佳。然而，很少有研究区分归因于种族的歧视与其他形式的歧视，或比较它们对心理的影响的差异。本研究使用全国代表性数据（2001-2003 年全国生活调查中的 5191 名美国黑人），研究了与归因于种族和非种族原因的歧视有关的严重心理困扰（SPD），并探讨了种族群体认同是否可能是一种缓冲。我们发现，无论归因如何，歧视都与更高的 SPD 几率有关。与非种族原因的归因相比，种族归因与 SPD 几率更高，且在每个歧视水平下均如此。高种族群体认同缓冲了中度的种族和非种族归因的歧视的负面影响。我们的结果为歧视对美国黑人 SPD 的负面影响提供了证据，并表明高种族群体认同可能在一定程度上减轻歧视对其心理健康的负面影响。我们的研究表明，应该解决歧视和种族群体认同问题，以保护美国黑人免受心理困扰。
