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Ethnic and Gender Differences in the Association Between Discrimination and Depressive Symptoms Among Five Immigrant Groups

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Abstract

This study examines ethnic and gender differences in exposure to discrimination and its association with depressive symptoms among five immigrant groups. Data were derived from a cross-sectional survey of 900 adult immigrants (50.8 % men, 49.2 % women) sampled from five ethnic immigrant communities in Toronto between April and September 2001. Men reported higher levels of discrimination than women. Ethiopians had the highest perception of discrimination followed by Korean, Iranian, Vietnamese, and Irish immigrants. With regard to discrimination-related depressive symptoms, Iranian and Korean men showed a greater risk than their Irish counterparts. Among women, Vietnamese and Irish seemed to be more vulnerable to discrimination than other ethnic groups. Despite experiencing the highest level of discrimination, Ethiopian men and women showed no association between discrimination and depressive symptoms. The exposure and psychological response to discrimination vary significantly across ethnicities and gender.

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Acknowledgments

This research project was supported by the Medical Research Council of Canada and approved by the Office of Research Ethics at the University of Toronto (Protocol #3242).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Social and Epidemiological Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 33 Russell Street, Suite T-306, Toronto, ON, M5S 2S1, Canada

    Il-Ho Kim & Samuel Noh

  2. Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Samuel Noh

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  1. Il-Ho Kim
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  2. Samuel Noh
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Correspondence to Il-Ho Kim.

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Kim, IH., Noh, S. Ethnic and Gender Differences in the Association Between Discrimination and Depressive Symptoms Among Five Immigrant Groups. J Immigrant Minority Health 16, 1167–1175 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-013-9969-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-013-9969-3

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