Pilz González Laura, Alonso-Perez Enrique, Lehnchen Jennifer, Deptolla Zita, Heumann Eileen, Tezcan-Güntekin Hürrem, Heinrichs Katherina, Stock Christiane
Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Health and Nursing Science, Berlin, Germany.
Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Medical Sociology and Rehabilitation Science, Berlin, Germany.
Int J Public Health. 2025 Jan 15;69:1607826. doi: 10.3389/ijph.2024.1607826. eCollection 2024.
Discrimination poses a threat to the mental health of university students, especially those affected by social inequality, yet understanding its intersectional impact remains limited. This study examines the intersection of social inequalities with perceived discrimination to explore differences in mental health among students in Germany.
Data from the cross-sectional project "Survey on study conditions and mental health of university students" (n = 14,592) were analysed using Multilevel Analysis of Individual Heterogeneity and Discriminatory Accuracy (MAIHDA). Depressive symptoms, cognitive stress symptoms, and exhaustion were examined across 48 intersectional strata based on gender, first academic generation, family care tasks, and perceived discrimination.
The MAIHDA analysis revealed substantial between strata variance, with most of it explained by additive rather than intersectional interaction effects. Perceived discrimination, diverse or female gender, first academic generation, and family care tasks (for exhaustion only) were associated with worse mental health outcomes.
The profound associations between perceived discrimination and the mental health among university students call for urgent attention and intervention within university settings. Adopting an intersectional lens is key to identifying and addressing inequalities.
歧视对大学生的心理健康构成威胁，尤其是那些受到社会不平等影响的学生，但对其交叉影响的理解仍然有限。本研究考察社会不平等与感知到的歧视的交叉点，以探究德国学生心理健康方面的差异。
使用个体异质性与歧视准确性的多层次分析（MAIHDA）对横断面项目“大学生学习条件与心理健康调查”（n = 14,592）的数据进行分析。基于性别、第一代大学生、家庭照料任务和感知到的歧视，在48个交叉层面上考察抑郁症状、认知应激症状和疲惫状况。
MAIHDA分析揭示了各层面之间存在显著差异，其中大部分差异由累加效应而非交叉交互效应解释。感知到的歧视、不同性别或女性性别、第一代大学生以及家庭照料任务（仅针对疲惫状况）与更差的心理健康结果相关。
感知到的歧视与大学生心理健康之间的深刻关联需要在大学环境中得到紧急关注和干预。采用交叉视角是识别和解决不平等问题的关键。
