Date of Project
4-7-2025
Document Type
Honors Thesis
School Name
College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Psychology
Major Advisor
Dr. Jean M. Lamont
Second Advisor
Dr. Francis T. Hutchins
Abstract
Discrimination has profoundly shaped the lives of individuals within disadvantaged communities, but its impact on mental and physical health has often been overlooked. In this project, I review literature on perceived discrimination based on immigrant status and its effects on psychological and physical health and examine a potential mediator and moderator of these relationships. Specifically, the relationships between immigration-based discrimination and both mental health and physical health may be mediated by perceived stress, meaning that discrimination may lead to higher stress levels, which results in poorer health outcomes. Furthermore, these relationships may be moderated by psychological resilience; individuals with higher levels of psychological resilience may experience less stress and better health outcomes. Then, I propose a study to test these ideas. The overarching aim of this research is to bring greater awareness to the significant relationship between discrimination, stress, and health outcomes within the Hispanic community. This study aims to contribute to current research to help bridge the gap between understanding mental and physical outcomes concerning discrimination.
Recommended Citation
Tabares Cuesta, Cheyla, "The Impact of Perceived Discrimination on Mental and Physical Health among the Hispanic Immigrant Population" (2025). Undergraduate Theses. 199.
https://scholarworks.bellarmine.edu/ugrad_theses/199
Included in
Biological Psychology Commons, Health Psychology Commons, Mental Disorders Commons, Psychological Phenomena and Processes Commons