Racial Discrimination Linked to Mental Health Disorders in Kids

New study shows discrimination may affect ADHD, ODD, and more.

Children who experience racial or ethnic discrimination are more likely to have symptoms of mental health disorders, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, and depression, according to a new study from UCLA published in the May issue of the American Journal of Public Health.

Study results show that 15 percent of children surveyed reported experiencing what they perceived as discrimination and that the vast majority of these encounters occurred at school. The study also found that children who reported feeling discrimination were more likely to have symptoms of one or more mental health disorders.

Racial and ethnic discrimination and their effect on mental health have been studied in adults and adolescents, but less is known about the effects of perceived discrimination on children's mental health.

The next stages of research will examine if racial and ethnic discrimination precede the symptoms of mental health conditions and also will look at the mechanisms by which discrimination might lead to poor mental health outcomes and how these mechanisms might differ by race and mental health condition.

Read more about the study.