Vicarious Racial Discrimination and Mental Health among Adults: A Scoping Review of Literature Published between 2010 and 2023.

BACKGROUND

Research on vicarious racial discrimination and its relation to mental health outcomes has increased over the past decade. However, the literature on vicarious racial discrimination suffers from conceptual ambiguity. As such, we conducted a scoping review to help clarify the state of research on vicarious racial discrimination as a risk factor for mental health problems across ethno-racially minoritized adult populations.

METHODS

We systematically searched ten databases for articles published from 2010 to 2023, using the terms 'vicarious discrimination' and 'mental health', following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We then screened and extracted data and presented a synthesis of findings.

RESULTS

We selected 33 studies to include in the scoping review. All studies were conducted in the US, except for one study conducted in Australia and one in New Zealand. Samples ranged in size from small (n = 81) to large (n = 64,041). There was an increase in the number of publications over the past decade, particularly following 2020. Several studies focused on Black Americans and Asian Americans, though other studies included multiple racial/ethnic groups. Studies did not consistently use a standard instrument to measure vicarious racial discrimination nor a consistent analytic approach to isolate its effects. The most common mental health outcomes included depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and psychological distress. Vicarious racial discrimination was generally related to greater risk for mental health problems, with a couple of studies showing null findings.

CONCLUSION

The literature on vicarious racial discrimination requires greater clarity and nuance when describing various types of vicarious racial discrimination. Vicarious racial discrimination is prevalent and is related to a range of mental health problems impacting ethno-racial minoritized populations. Potential mediators such as self-esteem and hypervigilance, along with moderators such as social support and service utilization, are important topics of future research.