Racism, Attachment Styles, and Mental Health among Asian American Adolescents

Abstract

Theory suggests that a secure base can moderate the effects of racism on mental health outcomes among people of Color (Mikulincer & Shaver, 2022). Thus, the current study tested this hypothesis with a sample of 301 Asian American adolescents who completed a 25-minute online survey. Two hierarchical multiple regression models examined whether secure, anxious, and avoidant attachment with mothers and fathers moderated the link between racism and mental health. We found that when Asian American adolescents reported frequent experiences of racism, secure attachment with fathers was not enough to mitigate the effects of racism. Specifically, simple slopes indicated that at high and moderate levels of secure attachment with fathers, adolescents reported slightly better mental health with few racism experiences but indicated a slight decrease in mental health with frequent racism experiences. Findings highlight the importance of dismantling racial discrimination to support Asian American adolescents’ mental health.