Graduation Year

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Ph.D.

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Degree Granting Department

Psychology

Major Professor

Fallon R. Goodman, Ph.D.

Co-Major Professor

Vicky Phares, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Tiffany Chenneville, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Kemesha Gabbidon, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Kristen Salomon, Ph.D.

Keywords

anxiety, daily diary, depression, minority stress, racial ethnic minority

Abstract

Minority stressors are theorized to contribute to mental health disparities for racial and ethnic minority individuals. While prior research links distal (i.e., external) and proximal (i.e., internal) minority stressors to adverse psychological outcomes for racial and ethnic minority groups, most studies have relied on cross-sectional designs that limit understanding of the immediate and short-term effects of minority stressors and potential protective factors in daily life. To address this gap, the present study examined the within-person daily associations between distal (interpersonal and vicarious discrimination, microaggressions) and proximal (internalized stigma, anticipation of rejection, identity management) minority stressors and psychological outcomes. Racial and ethnic minority adults (N=104) completed daily assessments of minority stressors, depression, general anxiety, social anxiety, general stress, and ethnic racial identity for 28 consecutive days. On days participants reported higher distress from microaggressions, they reported higher depression. Daily vicarious discrimination was associated with higher general and social anxiety. Internalized racism and anticipation of rejection showed same-day associations with daily mental health symptoms, and identity management predicted next-day increases in depression and general anxiety. When exploring the protective role of ethnic racial identity, daily centrality and private regard did not moderate associations between minority stressors and mental health; however, higher public regard attenuated the impact of these associations. Findings demonstrate that minority stressors uniquely contribute to psychological vulnerability among racial and ethnic minority individuals and highlight the need to identify additional protective factors that may mitigate their effects.

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