Date of Award
8-12-2016
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Dr. Wing Yi Chan
Second Advisor
Dr. Erin Tully
Third Advisor
Dr. Chris Henrich
Abstract
Racial discrimination has been linked to depressive symptoms (Pascoe & Richman, 2009), but only a few studies have explored this relationship longitudinally. This study examines the possible moderating role of faculty and peer support on the discrimination-depression relationship amongst 180 ethnic minority college freshmen. Results of the hierarchical regression indicate that racial discrimination, β = .13, p < .05, in the first semester of freshman year significantly predicted depressive symptoms in the second semester of freshman year. No interactions were found between discrimination and peer support (β = .06, p > .05), or between discrimination and two forms of faculty support (faculty interactions, β = .05, p > .05, and faculty concern, β = -.10, p > .05). Thus, unlike predicted, peer and faculty support did not serve as protective factors against discrimination-related stress. Future studies should investigate which types of coping most benefit ethnic minority freshmen.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.57709/8868735
Recommended Citation
Murtaza, Zahra, "The Longitudinal Relationship between Racial Discrimination and Depression in Ethnic Minority College Freshmen: The Potential Moderating Role of Peer and Faculty Support." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2016.
doi: https://doi.org/10.57709/8868735