A longitudinal examination of perceived racial/ethnic discrimination, public ethnic regard and depressive symptoms in Latino youth

This longitudinal study examined the role of perceived racial/ethnic discrimination and public ethnic regard on depressive symptoms in an adolescent Latino sample (n=141) living in an emerging immigrant community. Using a cross lagged model, this study found that Time 1 discrimination did not predict Time 2 depressive symptoms, nor vice versa. However, public ethnic regard served as a significant moderator of the longitudinal association of discrimination. For youth who reported high public ethnic regard and high racial/ethnic discrimination at Time 1, they reported greater discrimination at Time 2 compared to those who reported low public ethnic regard. These findings suggest that an internalized positive perception of the public’s view of one’s ethnic group is a potential vulnerability factor that needs to be better understood. These findings imply the need for additional research on the unique role of public ethnic regard in emerging immigrant communities.