How Imposter Syndrome Sinks Its Claws into Multiracial People

At MHAScreening.org, we know that among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) that take a mental health screen, people who identified themselves as multiracial were the most likely to screen positive or at-risk for alcohol/substance use disorders, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and psychosis. There’s research that shows that multiracial people have more behavioral health problems than their monoracial counterparts. They face unique stressors, and often find that it is difficult to connect with others – even with other multiracial people. More often than not, the parents of multiracial people will not necessarily understand their struggles. Even among multiracial people, their experiences are so unique that talking with other multiracial people can feel disjointed, and there can be a failure to connect. For multiracial people, imposter syndrome goes deeper than our ability to compete with others in skills or knowledge. It can affect our cultural and ethnic identity. When you don’t feel like you “belong” to a group of people, it can make you question your experiences and sense of identity, especially when how identify is often rooted in the way the world sees you. I can only speak to my experience, but being Puerto Rican and Chinese made me feel like I needed to be “more” of those identities in order to be accepted by people who identified as being Chinese or Puerto Rican — including my own family — because I didn’t look like the...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Mental Health America Publishers Racism imposter syndrome multiracial Source Type: blogs