Online xenophobia and mental health among Venezuelan migrant youth in Colombia: The interplay with "in-person" discrimination

Am J Orthopsychiatry. 2024 Apr 11. doi: 10.1037/ort0000730. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTEmerging research provides insights into migration-related cultural stress experiences and mental health among Venezuelan migrants; however, prior studies have not considered the critical distinction between online xenophobia and in-person discrimination. To address this gap, we assess the psychometric properties of an abbreviated version of the Perceived Online Racism Scale (PORS) with Venezuelan migrant youth and examine the interplay between online xenophobia, in-person discrimination, and mental health. Survey data were collected from Venezuelan migrant youth (N = 319; ages 13-17, 49.5% female) in Colombia in April-July 2023. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to examine the PORS, and multiple regression was conducted to examine key associations. The CFA showed excellent model fit: χ²(7) = 13.498, p = .061; comparative fit index = .989; Tucker-Lewis index = .977; root-mean-square error of approximation = .055; standardized root-mean-square residual = .026. Controlling for demographic factors, online xenophobia was associated with depressive symptoms (β = .253, p < .001) and anxiety (β = .200, p = .001). The online xenophobia-mental health association weakened when controlling for in-person discrimination but remained nevertheless significant (depression: β = .181, p = .002, anxiety: β = .135, p = .026). Interaction effects (Online × In-Person) revealed a pattern in...
Source: The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Source Type: research