scholarly journals COVID-Related Victimization, Racial Bias and Employment and Housing Disruption Increase Mental Health Risk Among U.S. Asian, Black and Latinx Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Celia B. Fisher ◽  
Xiangyu Tao ◽  
Tingting Liu ◽  
Salvatore Giorgi ◽  
Brenda Curtis
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Risk ◽  
Ethnic Minorities ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Racial Bias ◽  
The United States ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Racial Ethnic ◽  
The U.S

Background: The mental health of racial/ethnic minorities in the U.S. has been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined the extent to which disruptions in employment and housing, coronavirus-specific forms of victimization and racial bias independently and conjointly contributed to mental health risk among Asian, Black, and Latinx adults in the United States during the pandemic.Methods: This study reports on data from 401 Asian, Black, and Latinx adults (age 18–72) who participated in a larger national online survey conducted from October 2020–June 2021, Measures included financial and health information, housing disruptions and distress in response to employment changes, coronavirus related victimization distress and perceived increases in racial bias, depression and anxiety.Results: Asian participants had significantly higher levels of COVID-related victimization distress and perceived increases in racial bias than Black and Latinx. Young adults (<26 years old) were more vulnerable to depression, anxiety, and coronavirus victimization distress than older respondents. Having at least one COVID-related health risk, distress in response to changes in employment and housing disruptions, pandemic related victimization distress and perceived increases in racial bias were positively and significantly related to depression and anxiety. Structural equation modeling indicated COVID-related increases in racial bias mediated the effect of COVID-19 related victimization distress on depression and anxiety.Conclusions: COVID-19 has created new pathways to mental health disparities among racial/ethnic minorities in the U.S. by exacerbating existing structural and societal inequities linked to race. Findings highlight the necessity of mental health services sensitive to specific challenges in employment and housing and social bias experienced by people of color during the current and future health crises.

scholarly journals The Effects of Coronavirus Victimization Distress and Coronavirus Racial Bias on Mental Health Among Black, Indigenous and Latinx Young Adults in the United States

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Celia B. Fisher ◽  
Xiangyu Tao ◽  
Tiffany Yip
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Racial Bias ◽  
The United States ◽  
People Of Color ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Depression And Anxiety

AbstractBackgroundPeople of color in the U.S. have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of rates of infection and morbidity. Explanations for these disparities include over-representation as essential workers and long-standing inequities in access to health services. Prior to the pandemic, racial discrimination has been associated with depression and general anxiety. However, the effect of discrimination and racial bias specific to the Coronavirus on mental health has not been examined. The aim of this study was to assess the effects Coronavirus victimization distress and Coronavirus racial bias beliefs on the mental health of young adult people of color.MethodAn online survey administered to a national sample of 350 Black, Indigenous and Latinx adults (18 – 25 years) included Coronavirus health risks, prescription and financial security, measure of depression and anxiety and 2 new psychometrically validated measures for Coronavirus related victimization distress and racial bias.ResultsEmployment, number of Coronavirus health risks, Coronavirus victimization distress and Coronavirus racial bias were positively correlated with each other and with depression and anxiety. By contrast, household income and perceived financial and prescription security were negatively correlated with Coronavirus victimization, Coronavirus racial bias and with the mental health indices. Structural equation modeling controlling for demographic variables indicated perceived Coronavirus racial bias mediated the effect of Coronavirus victimization distress on both mental health measures across all groups.ConclusionsResults suggest the COVID-19 pandemic has created new pathways to mental health disparities among young adults of color by reversing formerly protective factors such as employment, and by exacerbating structural and societal inequities linked to race. Findings highlight the necessity of creating mental health services tailored to the specific needs of racial/ethnic minorities during the current and future health crises.

scholarly journals Investigating Mental Health of US College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-Sectional Survey Study

10.2196/22817 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
pp. e22817 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaomei Wang ◽  
Sudeep Hegde ◽  
Changwon Son ◽  
Bruce Keller ◽  
Alec Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
College Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Suicidal Thoughts ◽  
The Impact

Background Evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has generally increased levels of stress and depression among the public. However, the impact on college students in the United States has not been well-documented. Objective This paper surveys the mental health status and severity of depression and anxiety of college students in a large university system in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods An online survey was conducted among undergraduate and graduate students recruited from Texas A&M University via email. The survey consisted of two standardized scales—the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and the General Anxiety Disorder-7—for depression and anxiety, and additional multiple-choice and open-ended questions regarding stressors and coping mechanisms specific to COVID-19. Results Among the 2031 participants, 48.14% (n=960) showed a moderate-to-severe level of depression, 38.48% (n=775) showed a moderate-to-severe level of anxiety, and 18.04% (n=366) had suicidal thoughts. A majority of participants (n=1443, 71.26%) indicated that their stress/anxiety levels had increased during the pandemic. Less than half of the participants (n=882, 43.25%) indicated that they were able to cope adequately with the stress related to the current situation. Conclusions The proportion of respondents showing depression, anxiety, and/or suicidal thoughts is alarming. Respondents reported academic-, health-, and lifestyle-related concerns caused by the pandemic. Given the unexpected length and severity of the outbreak, these concerns need to be further understood and addressed.

scholarly journals Investigating Mental Health of US College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-Sectional Survey Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaomei Wang ◽  
Sudeep Hegde ◽  
Changwon Son ◽  
Bruce Keller ◽  
Alec Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
College Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Suicidal Thoughts ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND Evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has generally increased levels of stress and depression among the public. However, the impact on college students in the United States has not been well-documented. OBJECTIVE This paper surveys the mental health status and severity of depression and anxiety of college students in a large university system in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS An online survey was conducted among undergraduate and graduate students recruited from Texas A&M University via email. The survey consisted of two standardized scales—the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and the General Anxiety Disorder-7—for depression and anxiety, and additional multiple-choice and open-ended questions regarding stressors and coping mechanisms specific to COVID-19. RESULTS Among the 2031 participants, 48.14% (n=960) showed a moderate-to-severe level of depression, 38.48% (n=775) showed a moderate-to-severe level of anxiety, and 18.04% (n=366) had suicidal thoughts. A majority of participants (n=1443, 71.26%) indicated that their stress/anxiety levels had increased during the pandemic. Less than half of the participants (n=882, 43.25%) indicated that they were able to cope adequately with the stress related to the current situation. CONCLUSIONS The proportion of respondents showing depression, anxiety, and/or suicidal thoughts is alarming. Respondents reported academic-, health-, and lifestyle-related concerns caused by the pandemic. Given the unexpected length and severity of the outbreak, these concerns need to be further understood and addressed.

scholarly journals Moderating Roles of Resilience and Social Support on Psychiatric and Practice Outcomes in Nurses Working During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 237796082110242
Author(s):  
Anna E. Schierberl Scherr ◽  
Brian J. Ayotte ◽  
Marni B. Kellogg
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Psychological Symptoms ◽  
The United States ◽  
Direct Care ◽  
Behavioral Measure ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Research Reporting ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression

Introduction Staff and equipment shortages and an easily transmissible virus make working in the COVID-19 pandemic demanding physically and psychologically. Nurses on the frontlines are particularly vulnerable to the adversity of working under these conditions, particularly with regard to mental health. Thus, understanding risk and protective factors for this vulnerable and essential group is critical for identifying potential targets of interventions. We had two aims for the current study: (a) to examine work functioning and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress (PTSD) among nurses who did and did not care for patients with COVID-19; and (b) to determine if resilience and social support moderate these relationships. Methods For three weeks in July 2020, nurses across the United States were invited to participate in an online survey collecting data on demographics, resilience, social support, and screening measures of depression, PTSD, anxiety, and distracted practice. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and hierarchical regression for each outcome measure. Conclusions Our findings support a growing body of research reporting that nurses are experiencing mental health sequelae during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially those providing direct care to patients with the virus. We found that compared to nurses who did not care for patients with COVID-19, those who did reported increased symptoms of PTSD, depression, and anxiety. A novel contribution is our finding that nurses providing direct COVID-19 care also experienced increased levels of distracted practice, a behavioral measure of distraction linking to a potential impact on patient care. We also found that resilience and social support acted as moderators of some of these relationships. Fostering resilience and social support may help buffer the effects of providing care to patients with COVID-19 and could potentially decrease nurse vulnerability to developing psychological symptoms and impairment on the job.

scholarly journals Trauma, Sleep and Mental Health Problems in Low-Income Young Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 1145
Author(s):  
Rachel A. Fusco ◽  
Yan Yuan ◽  
Hyunji Lee ◽  
Christina E. Newhill
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Trauma Exposure ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Poor Sleep ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
The Relationship

Low-income young adults are more likely to have exposure to trauma, which increases risk for mental health problems. Although adequate sleep promotes good health, people with histories of trauma are more likely to have sleep problems. The current study explored whether poor sleep mediated the relationship between trauma exposure and mental health. A sample of 143 low-income 18–24-year-old young adults completed depression, anxiety, and trauma exposure measures and wore sleep monitors for four nights. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine both direct and indirect effects of variables. Results showed that higher trauma exposure was associated with depression and anxiety. Mean sleep hours per night was fewer than six, far below recommended guidelines for optimal health and functioning. Fewer sleep hours partially mediated the relationship between both trauma exposure and depression and anxiety, and the direct effect from trauma remained significant after adjusting for the partial mediation from sleep.

scholarly journals Mental health and preventive behaviour of pregnant women in China during the early phase of the COVID-19 period

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Qian Wang ◽  
Phoenix K. H. Mo ◽  
Bo Song ◽  
Jiang-Li Di ◽  
Feng-Rong Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Social Factors ◽  
Early Phase ◽  
Associated Factors ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Face Mask ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Regression Analyses

Abstract Background The COVID-19 has caused significant toll over the globe. Pregnant women are at risk of infection. The present study examined the frequency of washing hands with soap and wearing face mask when going out, prevalence of depression and anxiety, and identified their associated factors among pregnant women during the early phase of COVID-19 outbreak in China. Methods A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between 24 February and 3 March 2020. A total of 15 428 pregnant women who were using maternal health care services in China completed a questionnaire which assessed their socio-demographic and pregnancy-related characteristics, contextual, cognitive and social factors related to COVID-19, frequency of washing hands and wearing face masks, and depression and anxiety. Logistics regression analyses were performed to identify the associated factors of preventive behaviours and mental health. Results The prevalence of probable anxiety and depression was 28.2% and 43.6% respectively. 19.8% reported always wearing face mask when going out, and 19.1% reported washing hands with soap for more than 10 times per day. Results from logistic regression analyses showed that older age was associated with lower levels of depression and anxiety (OR = 0.42–0.67) and higher frequency of washing hands (OR = 1.57–3.40). Higher level of education level was associated with probable depression (OR = 1.31–1.45) and higher frequency of wearing face mask (OR = 1.50–1.57). After adjusting for significant socio-demographic and pregnancy-related factors, place of residence being locked down (aOR = 1.10–1.11), being quarantined (aOR = 1.42–1.57), personally knowing someone being infected with COVID-19 (aOR = 1.80–1.92), perception that COVID-19 would pose long term physical harm to human (aOR = 1.25–1.28) were associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety, while the perception that the disease will be under control in the coming month was associated with lower levels of depression and anxiety (aOR = 0.59–0.63) and lower tendency of always wearing face mask (aOR = 0.85). Social support was associated with lower levels of depression and anxiety (aOR = 0.86–0,87) and higher frequency of washing hands (aOR = 1.06). Conclusions The mental health and preventive behaviours of pregnant women during COVID-19 outbreak was associated with a range of socio-demographic, pregnancy-related, contextual, cognitive and social factors. Interventions to mitigate their mental health problems and to promote preventive behaviours are highly warranted.

scholarly journals Police Encounters as Stressors: Associations with Depression and Anxiety across Race

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 237802312199812
Author(s):  
Sirry Alang ◽  
Donna McAlpine ◽  
Malcolm McClain
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Depressed Mood ◽  
Social Stress ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Data ◽  
Police Brutality ◽  
Urban Residents ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Police Encounters ◽  
The Relationship

Stress researchers have emphasized the relationship between social stress and mental health. However, research investigating police brutality as a stressor is scarce. The authors conceptualize police brutality as a stressor, examining racial variation in its effects on mental health. Data came from the Survey of the Health of Urban Residents in the United States ( n = 4,389). Negative encounters with the police were found to be associated with depressed mood and anxiety. The relationship between encounters with the police and depressed mood was stronger among Black respondents and Latinxs compared with Whites. Regardless of personal encounters with the police, the anticipatory stress of police brutality—concern that one might become a victim of police brutality—was associated with depression and anxiety. These findings highlight police brutality as an anticipatory stressor and have implications for whiteness as a resource that protects from the stress of negative police encounters.

Racial-ethnic Identity Pairings and Mental Health of Second-generation Asian Adolescents

2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 834-852 ◽  
Author(s):  
Preeti Vaghela ◽  
Koji Ueno
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Ethnic Identity ◽  
Racial Identity ◽  
Problem Behaviors ◽  
Second Generation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Identity Conflict ◽  
Asian Adolescents ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Racial Ethnic

Second-generation adolescents experience identity conflict when trying to adapt to the United States. This identity conflict may be compounded for Asians, who experience racialization of their ethnicity. This intensity of identity conflict and racialization of ethnicity is reflected in different pairings of racial and ethnic identities (e.g., Hyphenated-Nationality, Hyphenated-Asian). We examine how these identity pairings are associated with mental health. Analysis used a sample of 1,308 second-generation Asian adolescents (aged 15–19) from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study Wave 2 (1995–1996). Although not all associations were significant, low levels of identity conflict tended to be associated with lower levels of depression and more problem behaviors. Perhaps these identity pairings help reduce depression by lowering identity conflict while increasing peer conflicts. The analysis also showed that among adolescents with the same type of ethnic identity, mental health varied across racial identity, highlighting the importance of examining identity pairings.

scholarly journals COVID-19 as a Stressor: Pandemic Expectations, Perceived Stress, and Negative Affect in Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brenda R Whitehead
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Stress And Coping ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
And Coping

Abstract Objectives The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic is appraised as a stressor influences perceived stress (PS) and psychological well-being during the event. Here, the association of older adults’ expectations concerning the pandemic’s duration and impact with PS and negative affect (NA) is investigated. Based on the stress and coping framework, PS is expected to mediate the association between COVID-19 expectations and NA. Methods Seven hundred fourteen residents of the United States and aged 60 and older completed an anonymous online survey in late March 2020 reporting PS, NA, and expectations regarding the pandemic. Results Regression analyses controlling for demographic factors revealed that more dire pandemic expectations significantly predicted PS and NA directly, and the effects on NA were significantly mediated by PS. Discussion Findings provide evidence that expectations about a pandemic influence the extent to which older adults experience stress and NA in the midst of a pandemic event. Implications for mental health are discussed.

scholarly journals Holistic Health: Does It Really Include Mental Health?

2006 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 2092-2099 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly K. McClanahan ◽  
Marlene B. Huff ◽  
Hatim A. Omar
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
The United States ◽  
Holistic Health ◽  
Public Perceptions ◽  
The Past ◽  
Mind And Body ◽  
Mental And Physical Health ◽  
The U.S

Holistic health, incorporating mind and body as equally important and unified components of health, is a concept utilized in some health care arenas in the United States (U.S.) over the past 30 years. However, in the U.S., mental health is not seen as conceptually integral to physical health and, thus, holistic health cannot be realized until the historical concept of mind-body dualism, continuing stigma regarding mental illness, lack of mental health parity in insurance, and inaccurate public perceptions regarding mental illness are adequately addressed and resolved. Until then, mental and physical health will continue to be viewed as disparate entities rather than parts of a unified whole. We conclude that the U.S. currently does not generally incorporate the tenets of holistic health in its view of the mental and physical health of its citizens, and provide some suggestions for changing that viewpoint.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document