title: A longitudinal examination of perceived discrimination and depressive symptoms in ethnic minority youth: The roles of attributional style, positive ethnic/racial affect, and emotional reactivity.
abstract: Although perceived ethnic/racial discrimination is well established as a risk factor for depressive symptoms in ethnic minority youth, few studies have examined their longitudinal relationship over time. This study examined whether a negative attributional style, positive ethnic/racial affect, and emotional reactivity moderated the longitudinal relationship of perceived peer or adult discrimination and depressive symptoms in a sample of African American and Latino high school students (n = 155). African American and Latino youth who experienced increases in perceived peer discrimination also reported greater depressive symptoms over time, but positive ethnic/racial affect buffered the longitudinal association. Emotional reactivity also served as a significant moderator but only of the baseline association between perceived peer discrimination and depressive symptoms. Thus, perceived ethnic/racial discrimination appears to play a significant role in the development of depressive symptoms for ethnic minority youth, especially those who start high school with lower levels of positive ethnic/racial affect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
authors.forename: Gabriela L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Supple
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Huq
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
authors.forename: Angel S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Dunbar
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
authors.forename: Mitchell J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Prinstein
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology*; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008913:Minority Groups; D000067074:Peer Influence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D063505:Racism; D012938:Social Perception