Latent Class Analysis of Racial Microaggressions and Institution-Specific Racial Discrimination at a US Minority-Serving University: Implications for Mental Health and Coping

Research has demonstrated that ethnoracially minoritized college students face negative mental health outcomes associated with racism. However, little is known about the intersections between microaggressions and institution-specific racial discrimination, their relationship with psychological distress, and the role of coping in this relationship. An ethnoracially diverse sample of 915 young adults attending an urban minority-serving institution (MSI) completed self-report measures on sociodemographics, microaggressions and institution-specific racial discrimination, coping, anxiety and depression, and perceived stress. Latent class analysis (LCA) determined the number and nature of classes for both forms of racism. Hierarchical linear regressions assessed the association between the LCA classes and anxiety/depression and examined the moderating role of coping in said association. The LCA revealed two classes: "exoticization and environmental microaggressions" (EM), whose members reported experiencing these two types of microaggressions, and "institution-specific racial discrimination and microaggressions" (IRM), whose members reported both institution-specific racial discrimination and microaggressions in multiple domains. Belonging to the IRM group was associated with depression but not anxiety after adjusting for perceived stress. Black students and those reporting lower family income were more likely to belong to the IRM group. Coping moderated the relation between IRM group membership and depression, which was weaker for those who reported active coping in response to racism. College students from MSIs who experience both institution-specific racial discrimination and microaggressions may be at greater risk for depression than those who experience exoticization and environmental microaggressions alone. Active coping may ameliorate depression risk. Public Policy Relevance Statement Both microaggressions and institution-specific racial discrimination relate to poorer mental health in college students, but little is known about whether certain profiles of racism experiences are associated with greater risk among students at minority-serving institutions (MSIs). In our sample of ethnoracially diverse young adults attending an urban, public MSI, those who reported experiencing institution-specific racial discrimination and microaggressions across multiple domains versus exoticization and environmental microaggressions alone were more likely to report symptoms of depression. Active coping in response to racism related to less depression risk. It is thus important that policymakers and educators consider the mental health harms resulting from institution-specific racial discrimination and incorporate an understanding of active coping in institutional equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts.