Navigating Racial Discrimination and Depression Among Asian Americans amid COVID-19: Exploring the Influence of Social Networks

Background: Asian Americans have faced escalating levels of anti-Asian discrimination since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbated by biased media portrayals and stigmatizing political rhetoric in the U.S. Prior research on Asian Americans has shown the link between racial discrimination and adverse mental health outcomes. Although research has recognized the buffering effect of social support, studies have predominantly focused on the functional element of social support by using aggregated measures rather than examining the structural dynamic of social support (e.g., social networks). A deeper understanding of protective effects can be attained by identifying individuals within these networks who offer stress-buffering support. Using the stress-buffering hypothesis, our study tested the moderating effects of social networks on the relationship between racial discrimination and depression among Asian Americans.

Methods: Using purposive sampling, individuals who identified with Asian heritage, aged 18 years or older, and living in the U.S. were recruited (N=304) from a nationwide online survey distributed via organizations serving or affiliated with Asian communities (July–November 2022). COVID-19-related anti-Asian discrimination was measured by an 11-item COVID-19 Discrimination Scale. Social networks were evaluated through personal network data of each participant, where they reported all individuals (referred to as "alters") with whom they had discussed experiences of discrimination and racism over the previous two years. The 9-item Chinese American Depression Scale measured depression. Multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between COVID-19-related discrimination and depression and the moderation effects of three different social network types (family, friend, and therapist) on this association. Although 304 respondents completed the survey, the analytic sample of this study was 190 due to pairwise deletion.

Results: On average, respondents were 33.8 years old (SD=11.0) and had lived in the U.S. for 14.9 years (SD=12.0). The majority of our sample were female (55.7%) and identified with Korean (36.3%) or Chinese (31.4%) heritage. COVID-19-related racial discrimination was reported by 67.4% of respondents. The mean number of personal networks was 1.4 (SD=1.9). Regression analyses showed that increased experiences of COVID-19-related racial discrimination was positively associated with depression (β=.378, p<.001). This association was significantly moderated by having more family alters (β=-.120, p<.05). While having more friend alters did not moderate this association, having more therapist alters marginally moderated this association (p=.05).

Conclusion: Study findings showed that Asian Americans who experienced racial discrimination were more likely to exhibit higher levels of depression. Additionally, findings provided partial support for the stress-buffering hypothesis, suggesting that maintaining connections with family members to address issues related to anti-Asian discrimination can help buffer against the adverse effects of discrimination on depression. Mental health intervention programs for Asian communities can emphasize the importance of building healthy relationships with family members, which might mitigate the stress appraisal response of discrimination. Our study advances existing research by leveraging social network data, providing a deeper understanding of how social support influences mental health outcomes amid racial discrimination. By examining specific relational dynamics within social networks, our study sheds light on the underlying mechanisms at work and their complex interactions.