摘要：Objectives . We sought to describe the prevalence, characteristics, and mental health problems of children who experience perceived racial/ethnic discrimination. Methods . We analyzed cross-sectional data from a study of 5147 fifth-grade students and their parents from public schools in 3 US metropolitan areas. We used multivariate logistic regression (overall and stratified by race/ethnicity) to examine the associations of sociodemographic factors and mental health problems with perceived racial/ethnic discrimination. Results . Fifteen percent of children reported perceived racial/ethnic discrimination, with 80% reporting that discrimination occurred at school. A greater percentage of Black (20%), Hispanic (15%), and other (16%) children reported perceived racial/ethnic discrimination compared with White (7%) children. Children who reported perceived racial/ethnic discrimination were more likely to have symptoms of each of the 4 mental health conditions included in the analysis: depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and conduct disorder. An association between perceived racial/ethnic discrimination and depressive symptoms was found for Black, Hispanic, and other children but not for White children. Conclusions . Perceived racial/ethnic discrimination is not an uncommon experience among fifth-grade students and may be associated with a variety of mental health disorders. Racial/ethnic discrimination has been defined as unfair, differential treatment on the basis of race or ethnicity. 1 It disproportionately affects Black, Hispanic, and Asian individuals in the United States, with 90% of Black and 79% of other non-White adults reporting perceived racial/ethnic discrimination, compared with 22% of White adults. 2 Some studies have shown that a majority of Black, Asian, and Hispanic adolescents report perceived racial/ethnic discrimination as well. 3 , 4 In a study of 177 Black, Asian, and Hispanic adolescents in 1 urban public school, 57% of 13- to 19-year-olds reported being called a racially insulting name, and 42% reported being excluded from activities by peers because of their race/ethnicity. 3 A recent review of the literature on perceived racism and health examined 138 studies (91% of studies focused on adults) and found that the association between perceived racism and health was strongest for negative mental health outcomes (psychological distress, depression, stress, anxiety). 5 This association has been found in studies of multiethnic samples of adults and adolescents 5 – 7 but has not been examined in similar studies of preadolescent children. Studies show that preadolescent children report perceived racial/ethnic discrimination. 7 – 9 Researchers have proposed that the cumulative distress caused by experiences of perceived racial/ethnic discrimination among Black youths can provoke symptoms of internalizing (e.g., depression) and externalizing (e.g., conduct disorder) disorders. 7 Many studies that examined the relationship between perceived racial/ethnic discrimination and mental health in US children focused on adolescents only, 1 , 3 , 10 used small sample sizes (n < 300), 1 , 3 , 9 – 11 studied children in only 1 school or city, 1 , 3 , 9 , 11 studied symptoms of internalizing disorders as the only mental health correlate, 1 , 8 – 11 or covered only Black children. 4 , 7 , 8 , 11 , 12 For our study, we examined the prevalence and mental health correlates of perceived racial/ethnic discrimination among Black, Hispanic, White, and other fifth-grade students. We also examined the relationship between perceived racial/ethnic discrimination and symptoms of 4 mental health disorders for each race/ethnicity; this analysis was based on a conceptual model for child development that incorporates the effect of racial/ethnic discrimination for children in minority status racial/ethnic groups. 13
