Racial Discrimination and Mental Health Among Latine Adolescents: Parenting and Conflict as Potential Moderators

Our study aimed to understand whether parenting practices, including positive parenting and caregiver involvement, and family conflict, moderated the relationship between experiences of racial-ethnic discrimination and mental health outcomes among Latine adolescents. We used a cross-sectional study design using surveys administered to Latine adolescents ages 13–17 years and their primary caregivers in Indianapolis, Indiana. Data collected included demographics, experiences of racial-ethnic discrimination measured by the Everyday Discrimination Scale (EDS), conflict (Parent-Child Conflict) and parenting (Parenting Practices), symptoms of anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder - GAD-7), depression (Mood and Feelings Questionnaire - MFQ), and internalizing and externalizing symptoms (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire – SDQ). Data were analyzed using multivariable linear regressions. Interaction terms were added to these models to test whether parenting practices (positive parenting and caregiver involvement), and caregiver-adolescent conflict, moderated the relationship between adolescents’ experiences of racial-ethnic discrimination and measures of mental health. Of 127 caregiver-adolescent dyads that responded to the survey, 92 were included in the analyses. Our sample included mostly female adolescents (60.9%) whose mean age was 15 years old. Regression analyses confirmed the negative effects of racial-ethnic discrimination on adolescent’s mental health outcomes. Positive parenting was consistently identified as having a positive effect on mental health. No moderating effects were identified. Our results have confirmed that racial-ethnic discrimination has poor implications for Latine adolescents’ mental health, while positive parenting has mental health-promotive effects. However, targeted interventions that build caregivers’ skills, beyond positive parenting, in creating a nurturing and supportive environment for their child may be needed.