Parental Racism-Related Stress and Child Depression: Disparities Across Income and Race/Ethnicity in a National Sample of Racial/Ethnic Minority Families

BACKGROUND: Vicariously experienced racism-related stress is a key social determinant of child depression, yet national data on racial/ethnic and income disparities in this relationship are limited. OBJECTIVES: This study tested whether non-Hispanic Black (NHB) children and children from lower income households experience more frequent depression linked to parent-experienced racism-related stress than other groups. METHODS: In the 2023 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), 1712 parents of racial/ethnic minority children aged 5-17 years (weighted N = 37.7 million) reported their own experiences of racism-related stress and their child's depression. Multivariable ordinal weighted least squares regression assessed associations between parent-experienced racism-related stress and child depression, with moderation by income and race/ethnicity. RESULTS: Parent-experienced racism-related stress was significantly associated with more frequent child depression. This relationship was stronger among children from middle- and lowest-income households and among NHB children compared with Hispanic children. CONCLUSIONS: Children from lower income families and NHB children are more vulnerable to depression associated with parental racism-related stress. These findings highlight the need to consider both direct and vicarious racism-related stressors in child mental health research and interventions.