Perceived discrimination as a risk factor for depressive symptoms and substance use among Hispanic adolescents in Los Angeles

OBJECTIVES: Discrimination has been associated with adverse psychological and physical health outcomes, but few studies have examined the effects of discrimination on Hispanic adolescents. This study assessed the relation of perceived discrimination with depressive symptoms and drug use. Covariates included immigrant generation status (GS). A second objective was to examine the potentially moderating effect of neighborhoods' ethnic composition as suggested by Mair et al. DESIGN: Secondary data analyses of a longitudinal survey examined self-reports of Hispanic adolescents in 9th grade (the first year of high school) and 11th grade at seven high schools in Los Angeles. RESULTS: (1) Perceiving discrimination in 9th grade significantly predicted depressive symptoms (β=0.23, p<0.01) and drug use (β=0.12, p<0.01) in 11th grade, even after controlling for socioeconomic status, gender, acculturation, and GS in the USA. The third GS group reported significantly higher perceptions of discrimination compared to newer immigrants. (2) Neighborhoods' ethnic composition was included as a moderator of the association between perceived discrimination and the outcomes, but did not moderate the relation. CONCLUSION: Teaching Hispanic adolescents effective strategies for coping with discrimination, such as increasing their sense of belongingness in the American mainstream, may prove useful in preventing drug use and depressive symptoms.