187. Experiences of Discrimination, COVID-19 Related Mental Health and Substance Use Among Hispanic Youth

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Purpose

Experiences of discrimination can trigger or exacerbate substance use and mental health disorders. Hispanic youth are disproportionately affected by the consequences of substance use. This study assessed whether experiences of discrimination in Hispanic youth were associated with adverse mental health and substance use during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Data from an ongoing, IRB-approved study analyzing drug use patterns among Hispanic youth (18-23 years) in the Southern U.S. (n=55) was used. Discrimination was measured using a modified Everyday Discrimination Scale with 11 items (yes/no), a Likert scale for frequency, and a prompt asking the reasons (17 options for e.g., race, COVID symptoms) behind being discriminated. Discrimination was defined as responding “Yes” to any of the 11 items (Independent Variable, IV). Participants were asked

Results

The majority of participants self-identified as White (88.5%), males (51%) and worked at least part time (81.8%). The most common discrimination experiences were ‘people act as if they think you are not smart’ (22.4%), ‘being called names or insulted’ (18.4%), and ‘people act as if they are better than you are’ (18.4%). Participants more frequently perceived that they were being discriminated on the basis of ethnicity (33.3%), gender (33.3%) and sex (28.6%). Approximately 14.3% participants

Conclusions

Results suggest a tendency for adverse COVID-19 MHRO and greater substance abuse among Hispanic youth who experience discrimination. Small sample size (only 25% of expected sample enrolled), might explain why p > 0.05 for both associations. It is important to address discrimination when considering MHRO in ethnic minorities, such as Hispanics. Further research is required to provide insights into coping and resilience factors in this population.

Sources of Support

Supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse T32 training grant at the UF Substance Abuse Training Center in Public Health from the National Institutes of Health (T32DA035167, PI:Cottler) and Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01DA046715, PI:Lopez-Quintero). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

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