Everyday Discrimination in Young Adulthood and Depressive Symptoms at Early Midlife: The Moderating Role of Parent–Child Relationships

Discrimination has been linked to greater stress and higher levels of depressive symptoms. However, there has been no research to date that has examined how life course inequality due to everyday discrimination is associated with mental health outcomes later in life. Using data from Waves I, IV, and V of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) from 1994 to 2018, we examined how everyday discrimination in young adulthood (Wave IV) was associated with depressive symptoms at early midlife (Wave V). We also examined how parent-child relationships in young adulthood (maternal and paternal closeness; satisfaction of communication with mothers and fathers) moderated this association. We analyzed two sub samples: a mother sample (n = 9390) and a father sample (n = 8229). Results from both showed that everyday discrimination in young adulthood was significantly associated with depressive symptoms at early midlife, and parent-child relationships served as significant protective factors against depression. Mental health policy and intervention efforts should address how discrimination experienced in young adulthood can have enduring adverse effects on mental health into early midlife and invest in strategies that promote supportive parent-child relationships as protective resources.