Author(s)

ShuangLe Fu^1,2, Bin Liu^3*, Li Zhu⁴

Affiliation(s)

¹School of Elderly Care Services and Management, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China. 

²School of Aging Industry, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China.

³JiangSu Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, Nanjing 210004, Jiangsu, China.

⁴School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China.

Corresponding Author

Bin Liu

ABSTRACT

A growing of research suggests a clear positive correlation between perceived identity discrimination and depression. However, the various intermediary processes behind this connection have not been adequately studied. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between perceived discrimination and depression among economically disadvantaged college students, as well as the mediating role of stress and self-esteem. An online questionnaire was distributed to collect data. The sample consisted of 896 students from economically disadvantaged families from 22 universities. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis were performed using stata (16.0) and structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed by Mplus (8.0). The results showed that identity discrimination was positively correlated with stress and depression in college students with family economic difficulties. Stress and self-esteem mediated the relationship between identity discrimination and depression among poor students, and the perceived stress caused by discrimination had a negative impact on self-esteem, thereby reinforcing depression; These findings are of great significance for the prevention and intervention of depression in college students with economically disadvantaged. This study focused on the impact of perceived identity discrimination on depression among economically disadvantaged college students, with stress and self-esteem acting as mediating factors. It reflects the potential risks brought by the funding project to the financially disadvantaged college students, and provides a basis for the implementation of the university funding policy and the active intervention of the mental health of the economically disadvantaged college students.

KEYWORDS

Perceived discrimination; Depression; Economically disadvantaged; Stress; Self-esteem

CITE THIS PAPER

ShuangLe Fu, Bin Liu, Li Zhu. Perceived discrimination and depression among economically disadvantaged college students: the mediating role of stress and self-esteem. Eurasia Journal of Science and Technology. 2025, 7(1): 16-23. DOI: https://doi.org/10.61784/ejst3062.

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