Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Perceived Discrimination and Psychological Distress Among Asian Americans: Does Education Matter?

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Using data from the National Latino and Asian American Study, this work examines if and how perceived everyday discrimination is associated with psychological distress among Asian Americans and whether this association varies by important structural factors as education and place of education. Findings reveal that perception of discrimination is associated with increased levels of psychological distress. Most importantly, education moderates the discrimination-distress association such that the detrimental effect of discrimination is stronger for Asian Americans with college or more levels of education than for Asian Americans with less than college levels of education. Place of education further conditions the moderating effect of education: The foreign-educated Asian Americans with higher levels of education are affected most negatively by discrimination compared to others. This study highlights (1) the significant joint role of education and place of education in conditioning the relationship between perceived discrimination and psychological distress, and (2) unique features of education in improving our understanding of Asian Americans’ mental health.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ajrouch KJ, Reisine S, Lim S, Sohn W, Ismail A. Perceived everyday discrimination and psychological distress: does social support matter? Ethnicity & Health. 2010;15:417–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Bierman A. Does religion buffer the effects of discrimination on mental health? Differing effects by race. J Sci Study Relig. 2006;45:551–65.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Clark R, Anderson NB, Clark VR, Williams DR. Racism as a stressor for African Americans: a biopsychosocial model. Am Psychol. 1999;54:805–16.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. deCastro AB, Gee GC, Takeuchi DT. Examining alternative measures of social disadvantage among Asian Americans: the relevance of economic opportunity, subjective social status, and financial strain for health. J Immigr Minority Health. 2010;12:659–71.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Eibner C, Evans WN. Relative deprivation, poor health habits and mortality. J Hum Resour. 2005;40:562–91.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Finch BK, Kolody B, Vega WA. Perceived discrimination and depression among Mexican-origin adults in California. J Health Soc Behav. 2000;41:295–313.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Furukawa TA, Kessler RC, Slade T, Andrews G. The performance of the K6 and K10 screening scales for psychological distress in the Australian national survey of mental health and well-being. Psychol Med. 2003;33:357–62.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Gee GC, Spencer MS, Chen J, Yip T, Takeuchi DT. The Association between self-rated racial discrimination and 12-month DSM-IV mental disorders among Asian Americans Nationwide. Soc Sci Med. 2007;64:1984–96.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Gee GC, Ro A, Shariff-Marco S, Chae D. Racial discrimination and health among Asian Americans: evidence, assessment, and directions for future research. Epidemiol Rev. 2009;31:130–51.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Goesling B. The rising significance of education for health. Soc Forces. 2007;85:1621–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Hahm HC, Ozonoff Al, Gaumond J, Sue S. Perceived discrimination and health outcomes: a gender comparison among Asian Americans Nationwide. Women’s Health. 2010;20:350–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Heeringa SG, Wagner J, Torres M, Duan N, Adams T, Berglund P. Sample designs and sampling methods for the collaborative psychiatric epidemiology studies (CPES). Int J Meth Psychiatr Res. 2004;13:221–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Kessler RC, Mickelson KD, Williams DR. The prevalence, distribution, and mental health correlates of perceived discrimination in the United States. J Health Soc Behav. 1999;40:208–30.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Leu J, Yen IH, Gansky SA, Walton E, Alder NE, Takeuchi DT. The association between subjective social status and mental health among asian immigrants: investigating the influence of age at immigration. Soc Sci Med. 2008;66:1152–64.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Lhila A, Simon KI. Relative deprivation and child health in the USA. Soc Sci Med. 2010;71:777–85.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Liu H, Hummer RA. Are educational differences in U.S. self-rated health increasing? An examination by gender and race. Soc Sci Med. 2008;67:1898–906.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Lynch SM. Cohort and life-course patterns in the relationship between education and health: a hierarchical approach. Demography. 2003;40:309–31.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Mandemakers J, Monden CWS. Does education buffer the impact of disability on psychological distress? Soc Sci Med. 2010;71:288–97.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Mangyo E, Park A. Relative deprivation and health. J Hum Resour. 2011;46:459–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Mirowsky J, Ross CE. Education, personal control, lifestyle and health: a human capital hypothesis. Res Aging. 1998;20:415–49.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Mirowsky J, Ross CE. Education, social status, and health. New York: Walter De Gruyter; 2003.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Mossakowski KN. Coping with perceived discrimination: does ethnic identity protect mental health? J Health Soc Behav. 2003;44:318–31.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Noh S, Kaspar V. Perceived discrimination and depression: moderating effects of coping, acculturation, and ethnic support. Am J Public Health. 2003;93:232–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Odom EC, Vernon-Feagans L. Buffers of racial discrimination: links with depression among rural African American mothers. J Marriage Fam. 2010;72:346–59.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Pearlin LI. The sociological study of stress. J Health Soc Behav. 1989;30:41–256.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Peterson William. Success story, Japanese American Style. New York Times Magazine, January 9, 1966: p.180.

  27. Ross CE, Chia-ling W. The links between educational attainment and health. Am Sociol Rev. 1995;60:719–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Ross CE, Mirowsky J. Sex differences in the effect of education on depression: resource multiplication or resource substitution? Soc Sci Med. 2006;63:1400–13.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Schulz A, Williams D, Israel B, Becker A, Parker E, James SA, Jackson J. Unfair treatment, neighborhood effects, and mental health in the detroit metropolitan area. J Health Soc Behav. 2000;40:314–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Stronks K, van de Mheen H, Looman WNC, Mackenbach JP. The importance of psychosocial stressors for socio-economic inequalities in perceived health. Soc Sci Med. 1998;46:611–23.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Subramanyam M, Kawachi I, Berkman L, Subramanian SV. Relative deprivation in income and self-rated health in the United States. Soc Sci Med. 2009;69:327–34.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Torres L, Yznaga SD, Moore KM. Discrimination and Latino psychological distress: the moderating role of ethnic identity exploration and commitment. Am J Orthopsychiatr. 2011;81:526–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Torres L, Ong AD. A daily diary investigation of latino ethnic identity, discrimination, and depression. Cult Divers Ethn Minority Psychol. 2010;16:561–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. van Winkel R, Stefanis NC, Myin-Germeys I. Psychosocial stress and psychosis. A review of the neurobiological mechanisms and the evidence for gene-stress interaction. Schizophr Bull. 2008;34:1095–105.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Walton E, Takeuchi DT, Herting JR, Alegria M. Does place of education matter? Contextualizing the education and health status association among Asian Americans. Biodemogr Soc Biol. 2009;55:30–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Walton E, Takeuchi DT. Family structure, family processes, and well-being among Asian Americans: considering gender and nativity. J Fam Issues. 2010;31:301–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Wilkinson RG. Unhealthy societies: the afflictions of inequality. London: Routledge; 1996.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  38. Wilkinson RG, Pickett KE. Income inequality and population health: a review and explanation of the evidence. Soc Sci Med. 2006;62:1768–84.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Williams DR, Yan Y, Jackson JS, Anderson NB. Racial differences in physical and mental health: socioeconomic status, stress, and discrimination. J Health Psychol. 1997;2:335–51.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Williams DR, Neighbors HW, Jackson JS. Racial/ethnic discrimination and health: findings from community studies. Am J Public Health. 2008;98:S29–37.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Williams DR, Mohammed SA. Discrimination and racial disparities in health: evidence and needed research. J Behav Med. 2009;32:20–47.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Yip T, Gee GC, Takeuchi DT. Racial discrimination and psychological distress: the impact of ethnic identity and age among immigrant and United States—born asian adults. Dev Psychol. 2008;44:787–800.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Zeng Z, Xie Y. Asian-Americans’ earnings disadvantage reexamined: the role of place of education. Am J Sociol. 2004;109:1075–108.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, The University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2424 Maile Way, Saunders 247, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA

    Wei Zhang

  2. School of Social Work, The University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA

    Seunghye Hong

Authors
  1. Wei Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Seunghye Hong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wei Zhang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Zhang, W., Hong, S. Perceived Discrimination and Psychological Distress Among Asian Americans: Does Education Matter?. J Immigrant Minority Health 15, 932–943 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-012-9676-5

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-012-9676-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation