Everyday discrimination and life satisfaction: Turkish adaptation of the Everyday Discrimination Scale (EDS) and the mediating role of depression

Abstract

Background: Perceived discrimination is recognized as a chronic psychosocial stressor associated with adverse mental health outcomes and reduced well-being. However, the psychological mechanisms linking discrimination to life satisfaction remain insufficiently explored in non-Western contexts, and validated measures of everyday discrimination in Türkiye are limited. This study aimed to adapt the Everyday Discrimination Scale (EDS) into Turkish and examine whether depressive symptoms are associated with the link between perceived discrimination and life satisfaction. Methods: The research consisted of two studies. Study 1 examined the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the nine-item EDS using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Study 2 tested a mediation model examining whether depressive symptoms play a mediating role in the relationship between perceived discrimination and life satisfaction among undergraduate students enrolled in a faculty of education. Mediation analyses were conducted using bootstrapping procedures while controlling for demographic variables. Results: The Turkish EDS demonstrated a single-factor structure with good reliability and acceptable model fit. Perceived discrimination was positively associated with depressive symptoms and negatively associated with life satisfaction. Mediation analysis indicated a significant indirect effect of perceived discrimination on life satisfaction through depressive symptoms. © The Author(s) 2026.