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The Influence of Racial Identity Profiles on the Relationship Between Racial Discrimination and Depressive Symptoms

Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington

Laura P. Kohn-Wood

University of Michigan, kbanks{at}iwu.edu

This study examined the association between racial identity profiles, discrimination, and mental health outcomes. African American college students (N = 194) completed measures of racial discrimination, racial identity, college hassles, and depressive symptoms. Four meaningful profiles emerged through a cluster analysis of seven dimensions of racial identity assessed using the Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity (MIBI). Results suggested racial identity moderates the relation between discrimination and depressive symptoms. Students whose racial identity profile involves the goal of blending with the mainstream and focusing on shared human qualities rather than race as a core ideological concept had a significantly stronger association between racial discrimination and depressive symptoms. The results hold implications for investigating the experience of racial discrimination and conceptualization of racial identity.

Key Words: racial discrimination • racial identity • depressive symptoms • college students • African Americans

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