Authors
Summary
This paper examines the impact of the 2016 Brexit referendum on the mental health of young people from ethnic minority backgrounds in the UK. Using longitudinal data and a Difference-in-Differences design exploiting geographic variation in Leave-vote intensity, we compare individuals before and after the referendum. Mental health among UK-born ethnic minority youth deteriorated in areas with stronger Leave support, while no such effect appears for White British youth. The findings highlight how political shocks and anti-immigration sentiment can undermine the wellbeing of second-generation minorities, deepening existing inequalities in a period of social and political polarisation.