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Historically, there have been indications that discrimination can hamper a person’s mental and emotional well-being. For the first time, a thorough meta-study conducted by a team of female researchers at the University of Mannheim firmly establishes the detrimental effects of discrimination.
The comprehensive meta-study, executed by Christine Emmer, Julia Dorn, and Professor Dr. Jutta Mata, who presides over the chair of Health Psychology at the University of Mannheim, has been published in the Psychological Bulletin. Evidently, the study reveals that discrimination can directly and indirectly inflicts damage on an individual’s mental health.
Discrimination primarily sparks strong feelings of anger and hostility, thereby tending to generate reactions targeted towards others. The current meta-study encapsulates findings from 73 distinct experimental studies involving a cohort of over 12,000 participants.
“Previously, individual studies had hinted at the adverse impact of discrimination on mental health and general well-being. However, this new meta-study amalgamates all prior research, providing clear and strong evidence of these effects,” states Emmer, the leading author of the study. Multiple experiments corroborated these findings, allowing researchers to ascertain and quantify the actual impact of discrimination based on the collective strengths and weaknesses of these experiments.
Interestingly, the most potent effects were observed when participants recollected personal experiences or bore witness to discrimination meted out to others. However, no such consequence was reported when participants faced discriminatory behaviour within a lab setting. The source of distress wasn’t derogatory comments from the experimenter within the lab but personal memories of discrimination or observation of discriminatory incidents involving others. These findings underscore that discrimination significantly imprints on memory and well-being.
Discrimination is often perceived as unjust treatment based on a person’s real or perceived affiliation with social groups. Acts of sexism against women or racism against ethnic minorities considerably affected their mental health. Conversely, individuals who scarcely face marginalization in daily life, such as men subjected to sexism or privileged ethnic majorities facing racism, showed no measurable effect on their mental health, primarily when the discrimination feels unfair on an individual basis—for instance, in an artificial laboratory environment.
Discrimination based on sexual orientation showed the most direct and drastic impact on mental health. However, Mata notes there are insufficient studies for systematic analysis of other forms of discrimination like religion or disability, emphasizing the need for further research in these areas.