Mental Health of Latinos and Asian Americans: The Role of Trauma and Perceived Discrimination

Background:  Perceived discrimination has a negative impact on overall health (Williams & Collins, 1995). Individuals who have experienced trauma may be more sensitive to perceiving acts of discrimination, and thus are more likely to suffer from additional mental health difficulties. There have been few studies exploring the association between perceived discrimination and psychological distress in immigrants and refugees and even fewer studies looking at the relationship between trauma and perceived discrimination. It is particularly important to study these relationships because of the high prevalence of trauma that refugees and immigrants face before resettlement. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between trauma, discrimination, and psychological distress. 

Methods: The data used was from the 2002-2003 National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS), which provides national information on the similarities and differences in mental illness and service use of Latinos and Asian Americans. The trauma variable used was a total number of trauma events reported (such kidnapping, life-threatening accident, natural disaster, sexual assault, community violence). Discrimination was measured both with the Everyday Discrimination Scale (mean = 6.77, SD = 6.96, range 0 – 45) and racial/ethnic discrimination questions (mean = 2.23, SD = 2.22, range 0 – 9). Psychological distress was measured using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (mean = 23.02, SD = 7.82). To examine the direct and association of trauma with perceived everyday discrimination scores, racial discrimination scores, and psychological distress, multiple OLS regression models were analyzed. 

Results:  Total traumatic experiences reported were found to be significantly associated with higher total perceived everyday discrimination (β = 0.458, p < .001) and higher total perceived racial discrimination (β = 0.144 , p < .001). A small association was found between total trauma experiences and higher psychological distress (β = 0.020, p < .001). Total perceived racial discrimination was found to be significantly associated with higher psychological distress (β = 0.017, p < .01). When controlling for household income, years in the US, gender, work status, and marital status, total trauma experiences (β = 0.014, p < .001), total perceived everyday discrimination (β = 0.005, p < .01), and perceived racial discrimination (β = 0.016, p < .01) were associated with higher psychological distress.

Conclusions and Implications: The results of this study suggest that there is a relationship between trauma and perceived and everyday racial discrimination.  It also suggests a relationship between racial discrimination, everyday discrimination and psychological distress, consistent with other studies. Findings also underscore the differential role that perceptions of racial discrimination have on mental health status of Asian Americans and Latinos, highlighting the different experiences and backgrounds of the two groups. Having a better grasp of the unique needs that refugees and immigrants have can shape both policy, research, and practice.  Programming should be developed with a trauma-informed lens that ensures mental health services are available alongside other resettlement services. More research is warranted to better understand these relationships.