Chinese Migrant Adolescents' Perceived Discrimination and Psychological Well-Being: The Moderating Roles of Group Identity and the Type of School

PLoS One. 2016 Jan 5;11(1):e0146559. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0146559. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Perceived discrimination can be harmful to migrant adolescents in China. However, little is known about the processes through which discrimination may be linked to decreased well-being in Chinese migrant adolescents. This study examined the relationship between perceived discrimination and three indices of psychological well-being (self-esteem, life satisfaction, collective self-esteem) in 798 Chinese migrant adolescents (49.4% from public schools). Group identity affirmation and belonging (GIAB) was examined as a protective factor that was expected to alleviate the negative effects of perceived discrimination on well-being, and the type of school was investigated as a potential moderator of the associations of interest. The results indicate that perceived discrimination was negatively linked to the three indices of psychological well-being and that the negative effects of perceived discrimination on psychological well-being were particularly salient for migrant adolescents attending public schools. Additionally, GIAB emerged as a protective buffer against perceived discrimination's negative effects on collective well-being.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Child
  • China
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mental Health*
  • Personal Satisfaction
  • Prejudice*
  • Schools*
  • Self Concept
  • Social Identification*
  • Transients and Migrants / psychology*

Grants and funding

This research was supported by the National Social Science Fund of China (14BSH078) and the Humanity and Social Science Youth Foundation of Ministry of Education of China (11YJC190015). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.