The Perceived Discrimination–Psychological Distress Relationship in Adults:
Published Evidence and the Potential Roles of Identity Distress and Resilience
Chau Minh Bao
Everyday unfair treatment can unsettle belonging and accompany psychological distress, but evidence of an association does not establish the mechanism behind it. This study explores existing aggregate data and constructs a model where identity distress is a potential mediator of the relationship between identity stress and a moderator for resilience. Focused synthesis consists of an existing published analysis of the 2023 US National Health Interview Survey and basic psychological and methodological studies. Six adjusted exposure contrasts are identified, described, and used to construct hypothetical multinomial probability scenarios. High levels of discrimination have strong relationships with poor screening outcomes. Contrasts between calculated high and low exposure contrasts on the relative odds scale are in the range 2.45–3.40. Translation of these relative odds to probabilities requires knowledge of the entire distribution of outcomes in the reference case. Identity distress and resilience do not co-occur in the data that has been analyzed. Therefore, mediation and moderation are not tested. This is a testable interpretation of the existing results and a carefully designed study of a proposed mechanism.
