New report shows a 鈥榙ose response鈥� relationship between racism and poor mental health
New report finds a dose-response relationship between racial discrimination and poor mental health, as well as the indirect relationship between racial discrimination and mental health, through health, economic, and social inequalities.
A new report titled The investigates how experiencing racial discrimination affects mental health, both directly and indirectly.
It finds a 鈥榙ose-response relationship鈥� between racial discrimination and poor mental health (ie the negative impact on mental health increased with increasing number of times and areas in which racism was experienced).
Racial discrimination has a direct impact on mental health, with the likelihood of poor mental health increasing with increasing exposure to racial discrimination, which is concerning given that 70% of ethnic minority people have experienced racism at least once during their life. Racial discrimination also contributes to worse health, financial, and social outcomes, which themselves also have a negative impact on mental health.
The authors also examine the impact of experiencing racism over many years. Recent experiences of racial discrimination (within the past 5 years only) had a stronger effect on mental health compared to experiences of racial discrimination that happened over five years ago. Chronic experiences of racial discrimination over someone鈥檚 life (both past and recent experiences) had the strongest effect on mental health.
Racially minoritised people in Britain continue to experience worryingly high levels of racial discrimination, with detrimental effects to their mental health. Further, this study shows the importance of collecting experiences of racial discrimination over the life course, rather than at just one point in time, as the more racism a person experiences, the worse the effect on their mental health. We now have overwhelming evidence both in Britain and globally of the insidious effects of racism, showing that direct action to tackle racism is urgently needed.
Drawing on data from , the largest and most comprehensive survey to document the lives of ethnic and religious minorities in Britain during the pandemic, the report also shows how experiences of racial discrimination were associated with testing positive for COVID-19, financial concerns, feelings of loneliness, and a reduced sense of belonging. Racial discrimination also indirectly contributed to poor mental health, through these experiences.
The report is written by Patricia Irizar, Dharmi Kapadia, Harry Taylor, Gertrude Wafula, Albert Kwansa, Charles Kwaku-Odoi, Laia B茅cares and Srinivasa Vittal Katikireddi.
This report summarises published in 'Sociology of Health & Illness' (open access).