Differential Effects of Personal-Level vs Group-Level Racial Discrimination on Health among Black Americans

OBJECTIVE: Racial/ethnic minorities in the United States not only experience discrimination personally but also witness or hear about fellow in-group members experiencing discrimination (ie, group-level discrimination). The objective of our study was to examine whether the effects of group-level discrimination on mental and physical health are different from those of personal-level discrimination among Black Americans by drawing upon social psychology research of the Personal/Group Discrimination Discrepancy. DESIGN AND SETTING: We conducted a secondary analysis of cross-sectional survey data from a larger study. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred and twenty participants, who self-identified as Black/African Americans during the laboratory sessions (57.5% women, mean age = 48.97, standard deviation = 8.58) in the parent study, were included in our analyses. MAIN PREDICTOR MEASURES: Perceived personal-level discrimination was assessed with five items that were taken from two existing measures, and group-level racial discrimination was assessed with three items. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Self-reported physical and mental health were assessed with a modified version of SF-8. RESULTS: Perceived personal-level racial discrimination was associated with worse mental health. In contrast, perceived group-level racial discrimination was associated with better mental as well as physical health. CONCLUSIONS: Perceived group-level racial discrimination may serve as one of several health protective factors even when individuals perceive personal-level racial discrimination. The present findings demonstrate the importance of examining both personal- and group-level experiences of racial discrimination as they independently relate to health outcomes for Black Americans.