Citation

Nadal KL, Griffin KE, Wong Y, Davidoff KC, Davis LS. J. Ethn. Cult. Divers. Soc. Work 2017; 26(1-2): 6-17.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/15313204.2016.1263813

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

In recent years, the study of racial microaggressions (or subtle forms of racial discrimination) has increased significantly in the social sciences, particularly highlighting the negative impact of racial microaggressions on individuals' mental health. Despite this, there is a dearth of literature that has examined the relationship between racial microaggressions and physical and psychological health. Using two self-reported measures--the Racial and Ethnic Microaggressions Scale (REMS) and the RAND 36-Item Short Form Health Survey--with a diverse group of participants (N = 277), results suggest that racial microaggressions are significantly correlated with poorer health conditions. Furthermore, racial microaggressions were found to predict various types of physical health conditions, such as general health problems, pain, lower energy levels, and fatigue. Finally, different types of microaggressions (e.g., microaggressions in school or the workplace, environmental microaggressions) were found to be predictors of specific health issues. Implications for social work are discussed.

Language: en

Keywords

health; Discrimination; ethnicity; race; racism