The Effect of Bias Victimization on Mental Health Outcomes among a Sample of Latinx Adults

Abstract

Bias-motivated victimization, including hate crimes, has steadily been an increasing concern across the country. For Latinx populations, anti-immigrant sentiment and targeted political rhetoric have also been on the rise. Due to this context, it is important to understand the detrimental impact such experiences can have on mental health outcomes such as anger, anxiety, depression, and dissociation. The aim of this study is to better understand the role of bias victimization on mental health outcomes among the Latinx community using self-reported survey data. This analysis consists of 910 Latinx adults from Boston, San Diego, and Houston who were recruited through partnerships with community agencies and self-selection during local Latinx-focused events in 2018-2019. This methodology was essential to capturing the lived experiences of traditionally hard-to-reach populations. The survey asked participants to report any experiences with hate crime, bias-motivated victimization, and general experiences with victimization unrelated to their identity in their lifetime and within the past year. Notably, about half of the sample reported experiencing a bias victimization in their lifetime. Using sequential regressions and tests of mediation, we find that the association between bias victimization and mental health was influenced by acculturative stress. The results of this study highlight the harmful consequences that bias victimization and racial trauma bring. Bias victimization, ranging from everyday microaggressions to hate crimes, as well as the level of acculturative stress, subsequently negatively affects the mental health of Latinx adults. This study provides important evidence regarding the harm incurred from bias-motivated incidents and the detrimental impact it has on the lives of those who experience them.