Shuya Pan1,2, Chia-Chen Yang3, Jiun-Yi Tsai4, Chenyu Dong5. 1. School of Journalism and Communication, Renmin University of China, No. 59 Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District Beijing, Beijing, CN. 2. Center of Journalism and Social Development, Renmin University of China, Beijing, CN. 3. School of Educational Foundations, Leadership and Aviation, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, US. 4. School of Communication, College of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, US. 5. School of Journalism and Communication, Renmin University of China, Beijing, CN.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The outbreak of COVID-19 has spurred increasing anti-Asian racism and xenophobia in the United States, which might be detrimental to the psychological well-being of Asian people. OBJECTIVE: We studied three discrimination-related variables, including experience of discrimination, worry about discrimination, and racism-related social media use during COVID-19 among Asians in the United States. We examined how the three variables were related to depression, and how the association between racism-related social media use and depression was moderated by personal experience of and worry about racial discrimination. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted. A total of 209 people (Mage = 33.69, SD = 11.31; 45.93% female) who identified themselves as Asian and were residing in the United States were included in the study. RESULTS: The results indicated that experience of discrimination (β = .33, P = .001) and racism-related social media use (β = .14, P = .045) were positively associated with depressive symptoms. Worry about discrimination (β = .13, P = .14) was not associated with depression. Worry about discrimination moderated the relationship between racism-related social media use and depression (β = -.25, P = .003), such that the positive relationship was found among those who had a low and medium level of worry. CONCLUSIONS: The present study provided preliminary evidence that experience of discrimination during COVID-19 was a risk factor of depressive symptoms among Asian people in the United States. Meanwhile, racism-related social media use was found to be negatively associated with the welling of US Asians, and the relationship between social media use and depression was significantly moderated by worry about discrimination. It is critical to develop accessible programs to help US Asians cope with racial discrimination both in real lives and on social media during this unprecedented health crisis, especially among those who haven't been mentally prepared for such challenges.
BACKGROUND: The outbreak of COVID-19 has spurred increasing anti-Asian racism and xenophobia in the United States, which might be detrimental to the psychological well-being of Asian people. OBJECTIVE: We studied three discrimination-related variables, including experience of discrimination, worry about discrimination, and racism-related social media use during COVID-19 among Asians in the United States. We examined how the three variables were related to depression, and how the association between racism-related social media use and depression was moderated by personal experience of and worry about racial discrimination. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted. A total of 209 people (Mage = 33.69, SD = 11.31; 45.93% female) who identified themselves as Asian and were residing in the United States were included in the study. RESULTS: The results indicated that experience of discrimination (β = .33, P = .001) and racism-related social media use (β = .14, P = .045) were positively associated with depressive symptoms. Worry about discrimination (β = .13, P = .14) was not associated with depression. Worry about discrimination moderated the relationship between racism-related social media use and depression (β = -.25, P = .003), such that the positive relationship was found among those who had a low and medium level of worry. CONCLUSIONS: The present study provided preliminary evidence that experience of discrimination during COVID-19 was a risk factor of depressive symptoms among Asian people in the United States. Meanwhile, racism-related social media use was found to be negatively associated with the welling of US Asians, and the relationship between social media use and depression was significantly moderated by worry about discrimination. It is critical to develop accessible programs to help US Asians cope with racial discrimination both in real lives and on social media during this unprecedented health crisis, especially among those who haven't been mentally prepared for such challenges.