Does race actually influence mental health?
Many studies have found that race has a strong influence on the mental illness susceptibility of a population. In particular, the so-called “color experience” causes great distress that is perpetuated by oppression from the dominant culture. Privilege that comes from identity alignment with the prototypical White, cis-gendered, heterosexual, able-bodied, affluent, conventionally attractive male does not extend to people of color or those that identify with other minority characteristics. For instance, immigrants in the United States report experiences of acculturative stress that stems from navigating the intersection between home-country culture and U.S. cultural influences [7]. While they may have higher life chances than those still living in their home country, there are still substantial barriers that immigrants must overcome, especially considering our current political climate (e.g., citizenship tests, threat of deportation, civilian prejudice). In a survey of 499 Asian participants regarding assimilation into the United States, 15% reported housing discrimination, 30% reported work-related incidents of discrimination, and 39% reported racial jokes and slurs [7]. Such events provide more examples of psychological stressors that preferentially burden people of color.
Additional studies of mental illness rates show variation by race, ethnicity, and nativity. For example, one study showed differences between racial groups in lifetime risk of major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and substance use disorder [7]. These trends may be attributed to greater levels of internalization in racially marginalized groups where individuals perceive failures as personal and suppress expression of struggles as a result of their socially inferior status. While those in the majority are free to fight back against things they perceive as unfair in the social world, those in the minority are implicitly prohibited from “talking back”. All things considered, it is not surprising that perceived racial discrimination is largely associated with negative psychological outcomes across ethnic groups and throughout the lifespan [2].
