Identifying Neural Mediators and Cultural Moderators of the Association Between Discrimination and Depression among Mexican American Youth

Prior research has demonstrated a link between perceived discrimination during adolescence and depression symptoms, but few studies have examined whether this link holds into young adulthood. Moreover, little is known about the neural mechanisms that explain the association between discrimination and depression, or the protective cultural factors that buffer youth against the adverse effects of discrimination. These gaps were addressed with a sample of 196 Mexican-origin youth (51% female) enrolled in the longitudinal California Families Project. Perceived discrimination was assessed in early adolescence (ages 10–14); participants completed two neuroimaging scans while experiencing social exclusion in late adolescence (ages 16 and 18); and, depression symptoms were assessed in young adulthood (ages 21 and 23). Growth curve analyses tested whether perceived discrimination was associated with depression symptoms in young adulthood, whether exclusion-related neural activity mediated this association, and whether cultural factors (ethnic pride, familism) moderated these associations. No significant effects were found, except that higher levels of ethnic pride in later adolescence were associated with lower levels of depression symptoms in young adulthood ( $$\beta$$ = − .17, SE = .06, p = 0.007). Findings suggest that ethnic pride could be leveraged in interventions to promote more positive mental health outcomes in Mexican-origin individuals in young adulthood.