The moderated mediating effect of age on the relationship between perception of discrimination, bicultural acceptance, and depression in multicultural adolescents

Introduction. The problem and the aim of the study. As countries around the world increasingly become multicultural, adolescents from multicultural families in Korea continue to face discrimination, which negatively impacts their mental health by increasing depression. This study focuses on the positive role of bicultural acceptance in reducing the negative impact of perception of discrimination on depression. Specifically, it aims to explore whether the relationships between perception of discrimination, bicultural acceptance, and depression in adolescents vary according to age, in order to propose strategies to mitigate depression caused by discrimination in multicultural adolescents in Korea. The aim of this study is to examine the moderated mediating effect of age on the relationship between perception of discrimination, bicultural acceptance, and depression in multicultural adolescents. First, does bicultural acceptance mediate the impact of perception of discrimination on depression in multicultural adolescents? Second, does age moderate the mediating effect of bicultural acceptance in the relationship between perception of discrimination and depression? The results of this study are intended to help overcome depression in multicultural adolescents. Research methods. This study utilized data from the 9th and 10th waves of the Korean Multicultural Youth Panel Study (MCYS), analyzing a final sample of 1,061 respondents. Reliability analysis, correlation analysis, mediation analysis, and moderated mediation analysis were conducted using SPSS Win 24.0 ver. and SPSS PROCESS MACRO 4.3 ver. Results. The results of the study are as follows: First, bicultural acceptance mediated the relationship between perception of discrimination and depression in multicultural adolescents (Coeffect=.244, p<.000). Second, although higher perception of discrimination was associated with lower bicultural acceptance(Coeffect=-.059, p<.01), which in turn was associated with higher depression, this relationship was more pronounced in younger adolescents (Effect=-.109, p<.01) and those with average age (Effect=-.060, p<.01), where a strong perception of discrimination led to a sharp decrease in bicultural acceptance (Coeffect=.145, p<.05), ultimately increasing depression(Coeffect=-.216, p<.000). Conclusion. The conclusions of this study are as follows. First, multicultural adolescents’ perception of discrimination and depression were low, and their bicultural acceptance was medium. Second, there was a partial mediating effect of bicultural acceptance in the relationship between perception of discrimination and depression in multicultural adolescents. Third, the moderated mediating effect of age was significant in the relationship between perception of discrimination, bicultural acceptance, and depression among multicultural adolescents. However, this positive effect of age was significant only in groups where adolescent age was below or average.