title: Racism, ethnic density and psychological well-being through adolescence: evidence from the Determinants of Adolescent Social Well-Being and Health longitudinal study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of racism, own-group ethnic density, diversity and deprivation on adolescent trajectories in psychological well-being.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multilevel models were used in longitudinal analysis of psychological well-being (total difficulties score (TDS) from Goodman's Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, higher scores correspond to greater difficulties) for 4782 adolescents aged 11-16 years in 51 London (U.K.) schools. Individual level variables included ethnicity, racism, gender, age, migrant generation, socio-economic circumstances, family type and indicators of family interactions (shared activities, perceived parenting). Contextual variables were per cent eligible for free school-meals, neighbourhood deprivation, per cent own-group ethnic density, and ethnic diversity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ethnic minorities were more likely to report racism than whites. Ethnic minority boys (except Indian boys) and Indian girls reported better psychological well-being throughout adolescence compared to their white peers. Notably, lowest mean TDS scores were observed for Nigerian/Ghanaian boys, among whom the reporting of racism increased with age. Adjusted for individual characteristics, psychological well-being improved with age across all ethnic groups. Racism was associated with poorer psychological well-being trajectories for all ethnic groups (p<0.001), reducing with age. For example, mean difference in TDS (95% confidence interval) between boys who experienced racism and those who did not at age 12 years=1.88 (+1.75 to +2.01); at 16 years = +1.19 (+1.07 to +1.31). Less racism was generally reported in schools and neighbourhoods with high than low own-group density. Own ethnic density and diversity were not consistently associated with TDS for any ethnic group. Living in more deprived neighbourhoods was associated with poorer psychological well-being for whites and black Caribbeans (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Racism, but not ethnic density and deprivation in schools or neighbourhoods, was an important influence on psychological well-being. However, exposure to racism did not explain the advantage in psychological well-being of ethnic minority groups over whites.
authors.affiliation: Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, Medical Research Council, 4 Lilybank Gardens, Glasgow, G12 8RZ, UK. t.astell-burt@sphsu.mrc.ac.uk
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Astell-Burt
authors.forename: Maria J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Maynard
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lenguerrand
authors.forename: Seeromanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Harding
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D015981:Epidemiologic Factors; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011287:Prejudice; D011594:Psychometrics; D012933:Social Identification; D012938:Social Perception; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom