The impact of anticipated, vicarious, and experienced racial and ethnic discrimination on depression and suicidal behavior among Chicago youth

Abstract

There is a growing body of research linking racial and ethnic discrimination to adverse youth outcomes. Beyond experienced racial and ethnic discrimination, this study considers the relevance of anticipated and vicarious racial and ethnic discrimination for depression and suicidal behavior. Hierarchical regression models on a diverse sample of 1147 youth (50.31 % female) within 79 neighborhoods from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods indicated that experienced, anticipated, and vicarious racial and ethnic discrimination were associated with an increased risk of depression and suicidal behavior. Additionally, African American and Hispanic youth were disproportionately exposed to—but not differentially impacted by—racial and ethnic discrimination. Findings suggest that developmental research should account for experienced, anticipated, and vicarious racial and ethnic discrimination.