Abstract

Ethnic identity, as a component of one’s individual identity, refers to the commitment to a cultural group and engagement in its practices. A healthy ethnic identity development should contribute to wellbeing. The aim of the present study is to investigate the strength of association between ethnic identity and depression, anxiety, and stress in Iranian university students. A total of 184 students from three Iranian universities filled in the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM) and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-42). Ethnic identity correlates significantly and negatively with depression, anxiety, and stress. The sense of belonging to the ethnic groups shows the strongest and most significant correlations with depression, anxiety, and stress. This result is compared to the findings of studies with other ethnic groups. It seems that the strength of correlation between ethnic identity and mental problems is higher in Iranians than in European Americans or Europeans, which might be due to the differing role of ethnic identity for mental health in different ethnic groups.

Keywords: Ethnic identity; Culture; Depression; Anxiety; Stress; Students