Perceived discrimination, coping, and psychosocial adjustment
A mixed methods study of Chinese internal migrant youth
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 24215635 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Lixian Cui (0000-0001-5706-9525, Division of Arts and Sciences NYU Shanghai Shanghai China), Xiwen Li (0000-0002-5092-854X, Division of Arts and Sciences NYU Shanghai Shanghai China), Doris Yuxuan Zhang (Division of Arts and Sciences NYU Shanghai Shanghai China), Morui Yu (0009-0009-7893-9994, Division of Arts and Sciences NYU Shanghai Shanghai China) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 36 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | e70281-e70281 |
| Publication date | 2026-12-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Research on Adolescence (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1050-8392 • E-ISSN: 1532-7795 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/jora.70281 |
| PMID | 42828497 |
| OpenAlex | W7218685778 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 64 |
Studies of identity‐based discrimination among Chinese youth attending vocational schools and working in urban areas are scarce. To contribute to the global understanding, we adopted an explanatory sequential mixed‐methods design with 204 Chinese internal migrant youth (Aged 16–24, 68.1% male, M age = 20.17 years, SD = 1.57) to examine the associations between perceived discrimination and psychological adjustment, and the moderating roles of coping and perceived social support. In the first phase, participants completed self‐report measures, and in the second phase, we interviewed a subsample of 47 youth to contextualize our quantitative trends. Quantitative findings showed that perceived discrimination was negatively linked to self‐esteem and positively to depressive symptoms, whereas active‐approach coping and social support were positively related to self‐esteem and negatively with depressive symptoms. Expressive‐evading coping covaried positively with depressive symptoms. We also found that passive‐avoidant coping exacerbated the associations between discrimination and depressive symptoms. The roles of active coping and social support in relation to self‐esteem varied by age. Qualitative data showed that migration status, rural origin, and regional dialects were the most cited reasons for experiencing discrimination, occurring most frequently in immediate neighborhoods and schools by locals and classmates. Most youth turned to close friends for emotional support, rather than parents, teachers, or classmates. Many would ignore or distract themselves from the experiences, and sometimes would actively cope with the stress. Both quantitative and qualitative findings reveal the unique challenges Chinese migrant youth encounter and distinct pathways of resilience in adapting to urban settings.
coping strategies · Depressive symptoms · identity-based discrimination · peer discrimination · perceived discrimination · psychosocial adjustment · regional dialects · Resilience · rural origin · Self-esteem · Social support · urban adaptation · vocational education students · Psychosocial Factors Impacting Youth · Racial and Ethnic Identity Research · Student Stress and Coping
Depression and associated factors in internal migrant workers in China
Meta-Analysis of the Relationships Between Social Support and Well-Being in Children and Adolescents
Adolescent Resilience
You want to measure coping but your protocol’ too long
The CES-D Scale
The Impact of Internal Migration on the Health of Rural Migrants
Relationship between perceived discrimination and mental health of migrant children
The Resilience of Migrant Workers in Shanghai China
A Longitudinal Investigation of the Causal Relationship Between Wellbeing and Perceived Discrimination Among Migrant Children in China
The role of sources of social support on depression and quality of life for university students
Depressive Symptoms and Coping Strategies Among Indian University Students
Effects of the Hukou system on the geographies of young people in contemporary urban China
Perceived discrimination, integration, depression and behavioral problems among Chinese migrant children
Great Expectations? The Subjective Well-being of Rural–Urban Migrants in China
Social Support from Parents and Friends and Emotional Problems in Adolescence
Depressive symptoms and coping strategies among Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong
Ethnic Harassment and Immigrant Youth's Engagement in Violent Behaviors
Adolescent Girls’ Experiences of Discrimination
Perceived discrimination and antisocial behaviour among Chinese rural‐to‐urban migrant adolescents
The relationship of microaggressions with alcohol use and anxiety among ethnic minority college students in a historically White institution
Psychological and biological responses to race-based social stress as pathways to disparities in educational outcomes
The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support
Internal migration and health
The Brief RCOPE
Perceived discrimination, loneliness, and non-suicidal self-injury in Chinese migrant children
The Sociological Study of Stress
Racial Identity, Racial Discrimination, Perceived Stress, and Psychological Distress among African American Young Adults
The Protective Effects of Social Support and Engagement Coping Strategy on the Relationship Between Perceived Discrimination and Psychological Distress Among Chinese Migrant Children
Social Stress
Social origins, hukou conversion, and the wellbeing of urban residents in contemporary China
| Highly cited | No |
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