Abstract / Summary
Abstract Background: Discrimination constitutes a chronic psychosocial stressor in racialized individuals and can also occur in mental health care settings leading to access barriers and unfair treatment. Along with direct and obvious discrimination, racialized individuals can also experience more subtle, ambiguous slights conceptualized as racial microaggressions. While the impact of racism on mental health is well-documented internationally, German research on this topic remains scarce.
Methods: The present study investigated experiences of racial discrimination and microaggressions in relation to depression, anxiety, social anxiety, somatic symptoms, loneliness, and sleep disturbances as well as discriminatory treatment in everyday life and different mental health care settings. Data were collected via an online survey between June and July 2025. Multiple regression analyses and independent samples t-test were conducted to compare racialized and (potentially) non-racialized groups ( N = 2,500).
Results: Experiences of everyday discrimination, racial microaggressions, and discrimination within mental health care settings are common in Germany and consistently associated with poorer mental health. Racialized individuals experienced substantially higher levels of discrimination and reported worse mental health than the control group.
Conclusion: These findings confirm international evidence while extending it to the German context and emphasize that racism constitutes an important social determinant of mental health. The outcome highlights the need for both structural and clinical interventions aimed at reducing racial discrimination and promoting equitable mental health care.