Cumulative effect of racial discrimination on the mental health of ethnic minorities in the United Kingdom

S. Wallace, J. Nazroo and L. Bécares

American Journal of Public Health, 2016, vol. 106, issue 7, 1294-1300

Abstract: Objectives. To examine the longitudinal association between cumulative exposure to racial discrimination and changes in the mental health of ethnic minority people. Methods. We used data from 4 waves (2009-2013) of the UK Household Longitudinal Study, a longitudinal household panel survey of approximately 40 000 households, including an ethnic minority boost sample of approximately 4000 households. Results. Ethnic minority people who reported exposure to racial discrimination at 1 time point had 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) mental component scores 1.93 (95% confidence interval [CI] = -3.31, -0.56) points lower than did those who reported no exposure to racial discrimination, whereas those who had been exposed to 2 or more domains of racial discrimination, at 2 different time points, had SF-12 mental component scores 8.26 (95% CI = -13.33, -3.18) points lower than did those who reported no experiences of racial discrimination. Controlling for racial discrimination and other socioeconomic factors reduced ethnic inequalities in mental health. Conclusions. Cumulative exposure to racial discrimination has incremental negative long-term effects on the mental health of ethnic minority people in the United Kingdom. Studies that examine exposure to racial discrimination at 1 point in time may underestimate the contribution of racismto poor health.

Keywords: confidence interval; ethnic group; exposure; household; human; longitudinal study; mental health; racism; Short Form 12; socioeconomics; United Kingdom; ethnic group; ethnology; female; health disparity; health status; male; mental health; mental stress; minority group; psychology; racism; United Kingdom, hexetidine, Ethnic Groups; Female; Health Status; Health Status Disparities; Hexetidine; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Mental Health; Minority Groups; Racism; Socioeconomic Factors; Stress, Psychological; United Kingdom (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (22)

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.2105/AJPH.2016.303121

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2016.303121_2

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2016.303121

Access Statistics for this article

American Journal of Public Health is currently edited by Alfredo Morabia

More articles in American Journal of Public Health from American Public Health Association
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Christopher F Baum ().