Depressive Symptoms in Relation to Adverse Childhood Experiences, Discrimination, Hope, and Social Support in a Diverse Sample of College Students

Abstract

Background: Young adulthood is a critical transitory period, with various factors impacting mental health and longer-term health outcomes, particularly among racial/ethnic minorities. Drawing from minority stress theory, this study examined correlates of depressive symptoms, specifically adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), racial/ethnic discrimination, hope, social support, and their interactive effects, among a diverse sample of college students.

Methods: We analyzed data from 666 racial/ethnic minority college students (57% Black, 22% Latinx, 21% Asian) attending seven colleges and universities in the state of Georgia. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Item (PHQ-9). Multivariable linear regressions included ACEs, racial/ethnic discrimination, hope, and social support, adjusting for sex, race/ethnicity, parent education, nativity, and age. We tested two-way interaction terms in four separate models to examine the potential buffering effect of social support and hope on the association between ACEs and discrimination.

Results: Participants were on average 20.56 years old (SD = 1.93) and 30% were male. The mean PHQ-9 score was 3.89 (SD = 4.91); 56% reported at least one ACE; 70% experienced racial/ethnic discrimination. ACEs and racial/ethnic discrimination correlated with higher levels of depressive symptoms; higher social support and hope correlated with decreased depressive symptoms. While hope and social support did not moderate the relationships between ACEs or discrimination and depressive symptoms among the full sample, racial/ethnic subgroup analyses indicated that, among Asian students, the positive association between discrimination and depressive symptoms was significantly weaker for those perceiving greater hope.

Conclusions: Eliminating racial/ethnic disparities in mental health requires concerted efforts to prevent and/or reduce ACEs and discrimination and identifying protective factors that can mitigate their relationship to depressive symptoms.

Keywords: ACEs; Discrimination; Hope; Mental health; Social support.