Discrimination and Mental Health Outcomes Among 1.5- and 2nd-Generation Muslim College Students

Abstract

In the United States, Muslims live in a climate of heightened Islamophobia and racism. While research has indicated the negative mental health impacts of discrimination among Muslim Americans, the relationship between specific types of discrimination and mental health among 1.5- and 2nd-generation racial minority immigrant-origin Muslim American emerging adults remains unclear. This study, with a sample of 128 1.5- and 2nd-generation, racial minority, immigrant-origin Muslim American college students, explored the associations between (a) everyday experiences of discrimination, (b) campus racial climate, and (c) perceived Islamophobia in the broader culture and symptoms of depression and anxiety. We further examined whether perceived social support and ethnic identity moderated these associations. Findings revealed that everyday experiences of discrimination were significantly associated with symptoms of both depression and anxiety, and campus racial climate and broader perceptions of Islamophobia were significantly associated with anxiety but not depressive symptoms. Although stronger ethnic identity was associated with fewer depressive symptoms and higher perceived social support was associated with fewer anxiety and depressive symptoms, neither buffered against the negative effects of discrimination on mental health symptoms. The implications of the findings for culturally informed interventions and resources for Muslim American college students are discussed.