Vicarious Experiences of Major Discrimination and Psychological Distress among Black Men and Women

Abstract

Racism-related stress frameworks posit that the discriminatory experiences of one’s loved ones may threaten one’s well-being, but relatively few studies have examined how they may impact mental health beyond childhood and adolescence. Using data from the Nashville Stress and Health Study ( N = 1,252), the present study assessed the prevalence of vicarious experiences of discrimination among subsamples of Black men ( n = 297) and women ( n = 330), examined the association between vicarious experiences of discrimination and psychological distress among Black men and women, and evaluated the impact of vicarious discrimination on psychological distress in the context of other stressors. Results suggest that Black women report more vicarious exposure to specific types of discrimination. Furthermore, vicariously experienced discrimination was associated with higher levels of psychological distress among Black women, but not among Black men. Our findings extend the literature on racism-related stress and offer new insights for interventions aimed at reducing racial disparities in mental health.