High socioeconomic status increases discrimination, depression risk in black young adults

Study finds greatest perceived discrimination in black young adults from most highly educated families, removing parental education's protective effect against depression

An investigation into factors related to disparities of depression in young adults has found that higher parental education - which has a protective effect for white youth - can also increase the risk of depression for black youth. The MassGeneral Hospital for Children (MGHfC) study published online in the Journal of Pediatrics also found that, among high-socioeconomic-status black youth, greater perceptions of being discriminated against cancelled out the protective effects of parental education.