title: Transdiagnostic Factors and Mediation of the Relationship Between Perceived Racial Discrimination and Mental Disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Multivariable comorbidity research indicates that many common mental disorders are manifestations of 2 latent transdiagnostic factors, internalizing and externalizing. Environmental stressors are known to increase the risk for experiencing particular mental disorders, but their relationships with transdiagnostic disorder constructs are unknown. The present study investigated one such stressor, perceived racial discrimination, which is robustly associated with a variety of mental disorders.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the direct and indirect associations between perceived racial discrimination and common forms of psychopathology.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quantitative analysis of 12 common diagnoses that were previously assessed in a nationally representative sample (N = 5191) of African American and Afro-Caribbean adults in the United States, taken from the National Survey of American Life, and used to test the possibility that transdiagnostic factors mediate the effects of discrimination on disorders. The data were obtained from February 2001 to March 2003. Latent variable measurement models, including factor analysis, and indirect effect models were used in the study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mental health diagnoses from reliable and valid structured interviews and perceived race-based discrimination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  While perceived discrimination was positively associated with all examined forms of psychopathology and substance use disorders, latent variable indirect effects modeling revealed that almost all of these associations were significantly mediated by the transdiagnostic factors. For social anxiety disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, complete mediation was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The pathways linking perceived discrimination to psychiatric disorders were not direct but indirect (via transdiagnostic factors). Therefore, perceived discrimination may be associated with risk for myriad psychiatric disorders due to its association with transdiagnostic factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York.
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Seijas
authors.affiliation: New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York.
authors.forename: Malki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stohl
authors.affiliation: New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York3Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York4Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Deborah S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Hasin
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York.
authors.forename: Nicholas R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Eaton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D019958:Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders; D044383:Black People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017691:Caribbean Region / Q000208:ethnology; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D019263:Dysthymic Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D063505:Racism / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology