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Abstract
Discrimination is a salient and chronic stressor for many minoritized racial and ethnic groups and has numerous consequences for both mental and physical health. However, less research has focused on how discrimination affects Middle Eastern and North African Americans (MENAA). While limited, research shows that among MENAA, discrimination is associated with higher rates of depression and anxiety symptoms, as well as poor self-rated health. Among racial and ethnic minorities, it has been demonstrated that cultural resources can help individuals cope with discrimination. Within MENAA culture, family and religion are important cultural resources that individuals utilize for social support and to cope with stressors such as discrimination. Further, research has demonstrated that religious and family support can buffer the effects of discrimination across racial and ethnic groups. However, it has yet to be determined if these cultural resources will have the same positive impact among MENAAs. Thus, the focus of this study is to examine the moderating role of family and religious support between discrimination and depression, anxiety, and self-rated health among MENAAs. This study recruited 126 MENAA adults from across the US through Prolific. Participants completed surveys on experiences of discrimination across their lifetime, family and religious support, and health outcomes. Results found that discrimination predicted more depression and anxiety, whereas family support predicted less depression and anxiety. Both family support and religious support amplified the effects of discrimination on depression. Results indicate future research is needed on the impact of cultural resources on the discrimination and health pathway within the MENAA population.