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A Longitudinal Investigation of Discrimination and Mental Health in Chinese International Students: The Role of Social Connectedness

Race-based discrimination is associated with negative mental health outcomes for Chinese international students. Host and ethnic social connectedness have been demonstrated to buffer the effects of discrimination on mental health. However, most studies thus far have utilized cross-sectional designs. The current study was a longitudinal investigation of the effects of race- and language-based discrimination on anxiety and depression symptoms among 210 Chinese international students studying in the U.S. Participants were assessed during their first academic term at a U.S. university (T1) and 3 months later during their second term (T2). Measures included the Brief Perceived Discrimination Scale, the Perceived Language Discrimination Scale, the Social Connectedness Scale, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the Beck Depression Inventory-II. Results from a cross-lag model showed that T1 perceived discrimination was significantly predictive of T2 negative mental health symptoms, whereas T1 mental health symptoms did not predict T2 perceived discrimination. Subsequent moderation models revealed that this association between discrimination and mental health symptoms was buffered by host social connectedness (i.e., social connectedness with American students) but not ethnic social connectedness (i.e., social connectedness with Chinese students). This longitudinal analysis implies that efforts to reduce experiences of discrimination and to facilitate social connections between international and American students may help prevent negative mental health outcomes among international students.