What does this research mean for the field?

Experiencing racial discrimination at university is associated with significantly higher levels of anxiety and somatization symptoms among students. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.CONFIRMATORY. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

To investigate the prevalence of campus-based racial discrimination and evaluate its relationship with anxiety, depression, and somatic symptoms among university students.

September 2, 2026Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health DisparitiesOpen Access

Racial Discrimination and University Students’ Mental Health: a Cross-Sectional Study

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Authors

NKNaila Khan AKAndrea Kaifie

Discussion

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Overview

Cross-sectional study reveals higher anxiety and somatic symptoms among university students facing campus racial discrimination, highlighting the psychological burden on minority students.

Key Points

To investigate the prevalence of campus-based racial discrimination and evaluate its relationship with anxiety, depression, and somatic symptoms among university students.
Conducted a cross-sectional study at a German university over a two-month period in 2022 using an anonymous bilingual online survey.
Assessed symptom severity for anxiety, depression, and somatization using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) among students with lifetime exposure to racial discrimination (N=179).
Among 179 students who had experienced racial discrimination, 59.2% (n=106) encountered it at their university, identifying fellow students and teaching staff as the primary aggressors.
Moderate-to-severe anxiety (PHQ score ≥ 10) was significantly more frequent among students reporting university racial discrimination than those who did not (41.8% vs. 18.9%, p < 0.05).
Moderate-to-severe somatization was also significantly higher with university discrimination (53.8% vs. 23.5%, p < 0.01), whereas depression rates showed a nonsignificant trend toward elevation (54.5% vs. 37.3%, p = 0.06).

Cite This Study

Khan et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a97e2c5c562ede874ec71cb https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-026-03149-x

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September 2, 2026Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health DisparitiesOpen Access

Racial Discrimination and University Students’ Mental Health: a Cross-Sectional Study

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Authors

NKNaila Khan AKAndrea Kaifie

Discussion

Member takes

Overview

Cross-sectional study reveals higher anxiety and somatic symptoms among university students facing campus racial discrimination, highlighting the psychological burden on minority students.

Key Points

To investigate the prevalence of campus-based racial discrimination and evaluate its relationship with anxiety, depression, and somatic symptoms among university students.
Conducted a cross-sectional study at a German university over a two-month period in 2022 using an anonymous bilingual online survey.
Assessed symptom severity for anxiety, depression, and somatization using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) among students with lifetime exposure to racial discrimination (N=179).
Among 179 students who had experienced racial discrimination, 59.2% (n=106) encountered it at their university, identifying fellow students and teaching staff as the primary aggressors.
Moderate-to-severe anxiety (PHQ score ≥ 10) was significantly more frequent among students reporting university racial discrimination than those who did not (41.8% vs. 18.9%, p < 0.05).
Moderate-to-severe somatization was also significantly higher with university discrimination (53.8% vs. 23.5%, p < 0.01), whereas depression rates showed a nonsignificant trend toward elevation (54.5% vs. 37.3%, p = 0.06).

Cite This Study

Khan et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a97e2c5c562ede874ec71cb https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-026-03149-x

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