Unveiling the Association Among Everyday Discrimination, Loneliness, and Well-Being Among Young Adults: The Moderating Role of Gender

Background:

Everyday discrimination refers to prejudicial treatment based on personal characteristics and can negatively affect healthy development. Prior research has shown that everyday discrimination is associated with poorer psychological well-being, and further suggests that loneliness, which is particularly prevalent during emerging adulthood, may be a key mechanism underlying this association. However, whether loneliness mediates the relationship between everyday discrimination and well-being among young adults has not been fully explored. Further, even less is known about whether this association differs between young men and women. This study addresses these gaps by examining the mediating role of loneliness in the association between everyday discrimination and well-being, and further investigating whether this relationship varies by gender.

Methods:

This study used data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics Transition into Adulthood Supplement (PSID-TAS), a nationally-representative panel study of American families. The sample consisted of PSID-TAS respondents aged 17 to 22 who were interviewed in the 2021 and 2023 waves. The final sample included 604 males and 689 females. Self-reported everyday discrimination and loneliness assessed in 2021, and well-being assessed in 2023, were used. Bivariate analyses and t-tests were conducted to compare levels of the key variables by gender. Covariates included race/ethnicity, age, educational attainment, and depressive symptoms measured in 2021. Multi-group structural equation modelling was employed to test the moderated mediation model using Stata 17.0.

Results:

Model fit indices demonstrated that the hypothesized model fit the data well, as indicated by the chi-squared test (χ² (4) = 15.02, p = .10), RMSEA (.05) and CFI (.97). Higher perceived everyday discrimination was associated with higher loneliness (b = 0.25, p < .001), which in turn, predicted lower well-being (b = 0.20, p < .001). Multi-group analyses showed gender differences in the pathways from everyday discrimination and well-being. For males, when loneliness was included in the model, the direct effect of everyday discrimination on well-being became non-significant. The indirect path remained significant (b = 0.02, 95% CI: [0.003, 0.035]), indicating full mediation. For females, both the direct effect (b = 0.13, 95% CI: [0.057, 0.202]) and the indirect effect (b = 0.07, 95% CI: [0.042, 0.095]) through loneliness were significant, suggesting that everyday discrimination leads to lower well-being through its impact on loneliness.

Conclusions and Implications:

The findings contribute to understanding the mechanism through which everyday discrimination may influence well-being through loneliness among young adults. Furthermore, these pathways from everyday discrimination to well-being through loneliness differ by gender, suggesting a need for gender-responsive supports that address the harmful effects of discrimination while recognizing different patterns of vulnerability. Interventions for young men may benefit from a particular emphasis on reducing loneliness and strengthening social connection, whereas interventions for young women may need to address both loneliness and additional direct consequences of discrimination.