Discrimination and mental health problems among homeless minority young people.
OBJECTIVE
We examined the associations among perceived discrimination, racial/ethnic identification, and emotional distress in newly homeless adolescents.


METHODS
We assessed a sample of newly homeless adolescents (n=254) in Los Angeles, California, with measures of perceived discrimination and racial/ethnic identification. We assessed emotional distress using the Brief Symptom Inventory and used multivariate linear regression modeling to gauge the impact of discrimination and racial identity on emotional distress.


RESULTS
Controlling for race and immigration status, gender, and age, young people with a greater sense of ethnic identification experienced less emotional distress. Young people with a history of racial/ethnic discrimination experienced more emotional distress.


CONCLUSIONS
Intervention programs that contextualize discrimination and enhance racial/ethnic identification and pride among homeless young people are needed.
Milburn
Norweeta G
NG
Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Center for Community Health, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Batterham
Philip
P
Ayala
George
G
Rice
Eric
E
Solorio
Rosa
R
Desmond
Kate
K
Lord
Lynwood
L
Iribarren
Javier
J
Rotheram-Borus
Mary Jane
MJ
D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D018453:Homeless Youth / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D015141:Los Angeles; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D008913:Minority Groups; D011287:Prejudice; D012933:Social Identification; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*
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