Examining the Impact of Racial Microaggressions and Psychological Distress in Latine Individuals: A Focus on PTSD, Anxiety, Depression, and Stress

Category

Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences > Social Sciences > Psychology > Multicultural Psychology > Latinx Mental Health

Received

April 28, 2025

Accepted

July 30, 2025

Published

October 24, 2025

Authors

Melanie Garcia, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow
Yajairy Cabrales, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow
Miguel A. Castano, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow
Richard Chang, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow
Gloria Wong-Padoongpatt, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow

Authors

Melanie Garcia (MG)^1* , Yajairy Cabrales (YC)¹, Miguel A. Castano (MC)¹, Richard Chang (RC)¹, and Gloria Wong-Padoongpatt, Ph.D. (GWP)¹

Author Affiliations

¹Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA.

Corresponding Author

*Melanie Garcia garcim81@unlv.nevada.edu

Corresponding Author ORCID iD

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4020-9613

DOI

https://doi.org/10.9741/2766-7227.1036

Author Contributions

MG: Conceptualized the research question, performed data analyses, and contributed to writing and editing the manuscript.

YC: Contributed to the conceptualization of the research question, data analysis, writing, and editing.

MC: Contributed writing and editing.

RC: Performed data analysis, and contributed to writing and editing the manuscript.

GWP: Conducted data collection, data analysis, and contributed to writing and editing.

Copyright

Articles in Spectra are freely available under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) which allows others to re-use the work without permission as long as the work is properly cited.

Data Availability Statement

The author of this article confirms that the information used in the literature is fully available without restrictions.

Conflicts of Interest

The author declares that no conflicts of interest exist.

Ethical Considerations

None.

Funding

This study was funded by the Gambling, Addictions, and the Marginalized Experience Lab.

Abstract

Latine individuals in the United States face distinct mental health challenges due to unique stressors, including systemic racism and discrimination. While research has established that racial microaggressions—such as daily slights, insults, and invalidations—negatively impact the psychological well-being of people of color, there remains limited scholarship specifically focused on Latine communities. This study examines different types of racial microaggressions—such as invisibility, criminality, and sexualization—as predictors of psychological distress among Latine individuals. A sample of 434 Latine participants completed measures assessing their experiences with racial microaggressions, as well as symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, and trauma. Four multiple linear regression models were used to test the predictive relationship between different types of racial microaggressions and psychological distress. Findings indicated that racial microaggressions significantly predicted psychological distress, with racial microaggressions related to sexualization and invisibility emerging as particularly strong predictors. These results highlight the need for further research on protective factors that buffer against the effects of racial microaggressions and the importance of culturally responsive mental health interventions for Latine Americans.

Keywords

Latine, trauma, racial microaggressions, stress, anxiety, depression

Submission Type

Primary research article

Recommended Citation

Garcia, M., Cabrales, Y., Castano, M., Chang, R., & Wong-Padoongpatt, G. (2025). Examining the Impact of Racial Microaggressions and Psychological Distress in Latine Individuals: A Focus on PTSD, Anxiety, Depression, and Stress. Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal, 4(2), 23-43. https://doi.org/10.9741/2766-7227.1036