Effects of COVID-19 racial discrimination on depression and life satisfaction among young, middle, and older Chinese Americans

Although studies have begun to examine the effects of COVID-19 racial discrimination on wellbeing among disaggregated Asian American subgroups, a paucity of research considers the role of age and gender with experiences of racial discrimination on depression and life satisfaction. The present study addresses the gap in literature by examining the relationship between gender and age in experiences of COVID-19 related racial discrimination, depression, and life satisfaction among Chinese American adults (n = 184) from young, middle, and older age groups. The results of our multiple linear regression analyses indicated COVID-19 racial discrimination explained 47.9% of the variance in depression. As combined predictor variables, COVID-19 racial discrimination and depression explained 42.3% of the variance in life satisfaction. With respect to age and gender, middle-aged Chinese American men reported experiencing the highest levels of racial discrimination and depression. Implications for professional counselors and future areas for study are provided.