The effects of COVID-19 victimization distress and racial bias on mental health among AIAN, Asian, Black, and Latinx young adults.

OBJECTIVE: U.S. young adult racial minorities have been disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in rates of infection and morbidity. Prepandemic racial discrimination has been associated with depression and general anxiety. However, the effect of coronavirus-specific forms of discrimination on mental health has not been examined. This study assessed the effect of social determinants of mental health and COVID-19-specific victimization and racial bias beliefs on depression and anxiety among young adults of color in the U.S. METHOD: A national online survey of 399 American Indian/Alaskan Natives, Asian, Black, and Latinx adults (18-25 years) included demographic variables, COVID-19-health risks, and standardized measures of depression, anxiety, coronavirus-related victimization distress and perceptions of coronavirus-related racial bias across a range of contexts. RESULTS: Employment, financial and prescription insecurity, COVID-19-health risks, coronavirus-victimization distress and coronavirus racial bias beliefs were positively correlated with depression and anxiety. Scores on the Coronavirus Racial Bias Scale were significantly higher among Asian and Black respondents. Structural equation modeling controlling for race/ethnicity and demographic variables indicated coronavirus racial bias mediated the effect of coronavirus victimization distress on both mental health indices. CONCLUSION: Results 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 minorities during the current and future health crises. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Psychological Well-Being and Substance Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Ethnic/Racial Identity, Discrimination, and Vigilance.

OBJECTIVES: Emerging evidence indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated mental health disparities among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) through increased exposure to racism. Although ethnic/racial identity (ERI) and mental health were associated among BIPOC young adults pre-pandemic, it is unclear how these associations may differ in the exacerbated hostile racial environment of the pandemic. The current study examined the associations between ERI exploration and commitment within the context of ethnic/racial discrimination (ERD) and race-related vigilance with psychological well-being and substance use as explained by rumination. METHODS: Data from a cross-sectional online survey of 450 AIAN, Asian, Black, and Latinx young adults (18-25 years) collected in April 2020 included demographic variables, standardized measures of ERI, ERD, race-related vigilance, rumination brooding and reflection, substance use, and psychological well-being. RESULTS: Black respondents reported more exposure to ERD than AIAN and Asian young adults. ERI exploration and commitment were positively associated with well-being. ERI exploration, ERD, and rumination were associated with higher levels of substance use. An association between ERI exploration and more substance use and lower well-being was partially accounted for by higher levels of rumination. An association between ERI commitment and more substance use was fully accounted for by higher levels of rumination. CONCLUSIONS: Although ERI exploration and commitment were associated with better psychological well-being among BIPOC young adults, a significant association was found between ERI commitment and more substance use as explained by rumination. Public health efforts should cultivate culturally sensitive mental health services to decrease rumination and its negative association with substance use and well-being.

Learning about discrimination during childhood: Implications for racial trauma among Asians and Asian Americans during the pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: Although the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a sharp rise in anti-Asian hate crimes, limited data exist on racial trauma and its effects on Asian Americans. The current study investigated how racial discrimination and parental ethnic-racial socialization (cultural socialization, preparation for bias, and promotion of mistrust) were associated with racial trauma among Asian Americans in young adulthood. Increased cultural socialization and preparation for bias in childhood were hypothesized to be associated with lower levels of racial trauma, whereas increased racial discrimination and promotion of mistrust were hypothesized to predict higher levels of racial trauma. METHODS: Based on a retrospective report of young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, this longitudinal nationwide study within the United States examined 133 Asian and Asian American young adults ages 18-30 who participated in an online survey regarding ethnic identity, childhood ethnic-racial socialization practices, racial discrimination-related experiences, and racial trauma. RESULTS: Lifetime discrimination, but not COVID-19-related discrimination, was associated with higher levels of racial trauma. Greater levels of preparation for bias during childhood predicted lower levels of racial trauma in young adulthood. Contrary to the hypothesis, greater levels of cultural socialization predicted higher levels of racial trauma. Promotion of mistrust was not associated with later racial trauma outcomes. CONCLUSION: The current study underscores the long-term impacts of parent-child discussions about racism (i.e., preparation for bias) to address racial trauma in young adulthood. Future research should further examine cultural socialization to determine its effects on racial trauma among Asian Americans.

Employment, coronavirus victimization distress, and substance use disorders among black and non-Hispanic White young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Substance abuse among young adults increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although pre-pandemic data indicate non-Hispanic White adults had higher levels of substance use disorder (SUD), Black adults suffered more serious consequences. The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced new stressors that may contribute to SUD, especially among Black young adults, including employment as essential workers, which may be related to victimization distress associated with the coronavirus (i.e., coronavirus victimization distress). The current study administered an anonymous, cross-sectional, online survey to a national sample of 132 Black and 141 non-Hispanic White adults 18 - 25 years to assess the relationship between health, economic disparities, employment, coronavirus victimization distress, and substance use during the first wave of the pandemic. Controlling for COVID-19 health risks and income, structural equation models indicated that coronavirus victimization distress fully accounted for the positive association between employment and SUD risk, and this association was more pronounced among Black young adults. Findings underscore the urgency of considering disease-related victimization in SUD interventions involving employed young adults during infectious disease pandemics.

Vicarious racism, ethnic/racial identity, and sleep among Asian Americans.

OBJECTIVES: Vicarious racism-witnessing or hearing about other individuals of one's ethnic/racial group being the target of racism-has been salient among Asian Americans during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. There is emerging evidence that such experiences adversely impact several health-related outcomes, including sleep. The present study examines associations between vicarious racism and subjective sleep duration and quality, and the potential moderating role of ethnic/racial identity (ERI). METHOD: Multivariable regression models assessed the association between vicarious racism, private regard, and centrality on self-reported sleep disturbance and duration. The sample consisted of an online sample of 600 Asian American adults (Mage = 38.55, SDage = 17.11; 65.17% female; 60% ≥ Bachelor's degree) recruited from May to June 2020. RESULTS: Vicarious racism was associated with compromised sleep quality and duration, including after adjustment for sociodemographic variables that have been linked to sleep. Private regard toward one's own ethnic/racial group and centrality of ethnicity/race to self-identity buffered the association between vicarious racism and sleep quality and duration. Adverse effects of high vicarious racism on sleep quality and duration were lessened among respondents reporting high levels of ERI private regard and centrality. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study extend research on racism and sleep by examining vicarious racism, an understudied facet of racism, and by focusing specifically on Asian Americans and in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Future research and practice should consider expanding research on discrimination to include a broader range of unjust experiences. Vicarious racism contributes to health hazards experienced by Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Sleep disparities during the COVID-19 pandemic: An investigation of AIAN, Asian, Black, Latinx, and White young adults.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigates race-related disparities in sleep duration and quality among diverse young adults during the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. DESIGN & SETTING: Online cross-sectional study of young adults in the United States in April 2020. PARTICIPANTS: About 547 American Indian/Alaskan Native (AIAN), Asian, Black, Latinx, and White young adults ages 18-25 years. MEASUREMENTS: Participants completed measures of sleep duration and quality, coronavirus victimization distress, depression, age, sex/gender, employment status, essential worker status, student status, residential region, socioeconomic status, concerns about contracting coronavirus and CDC health risks. RESULTS: Black young adults reported the largest disparity in sleep duration and quality. For sleep duration, AIAN, Asian, White, and Latinx young adults reported approximately one additional hour of sleep compared to Black respondents. Mediation analyses suggest that disparities in sleep duration between Asian and Black young adults may be explained by the higher likelihood of Black respondents being essential workers. For sleep quality, Latinx, White, AIAN, and Asian young adults reported higher levels than Black respondents. Including coronavirus victimization distress as an intervening pathway decreased the effect for Asian and White respondents on sleep quality, suggesting that coronavirus victimization distress partially explains Black and Asian, as well as Black and White differences in sleep quality. CONCLUSIONS: Black young adults reported the shortest sleep duration and lowest levels of sleep quality relative to AIAN, Asian, Latinx and White peers. Interpersonal experiences of coronavirus victimization and structural inequities may partially explain disparities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Psychosocial correlates of posttraumatic growth among U.S. young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Given the prolonged nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, the purpose of this study was to examine the association between posttraumatic growth (PTG) among young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic and their psychosocial characteristics, specifically: distress tolerance; resilience; family connectedness; depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms; and COVID-19-related worry. The study utilized data from 805 U.S. young adults (18-30 years) who completed online surveys during the COVID-19 pandemic across two waves (April-August 2020 and September 2020-March 2021). Overall, young adults reported low PTG scores. PTSD symptoms and COVID-19-related worry significantly predicted higher levels of PTG, while their depression symptoms predicted lower levels of PTG. Resilience and family connectedness significantly predicted higher levels of PTG, and distress tolerance significantly predicted lower levels of PTG after accounting for sociodemographic characteristics and negative influential factors. Compared to Whites, Asians were less likely to report PTG. In general, young adults have not perceived personal growth from the pandemic; however, young adults with certain psychosocial factors appear to be predisposed to such PTG. This study highlights the importance of exploring and elucidating the potential positive trajectories following the adversity of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vicarious Racism and Vigilance During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Mental Health Implications Among Asian and Black Americans.

OBJECTIVES: Experiences of vicarious racism-hearing about racism directed toward one's racial group or racist acts committed against other racial group members-and vigilance about racial discrimination have been salient during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined vicarious racism and vigilance in relation to symptoms of depression and anxiety among Asian and Black Americans. METHODS: We used data from a cross-sectional study of 604 Asian American and 844 Black American adults aged ≥18 in the United States recruited from 5 US cities from May 21 through July 15, 2020. Multivariable linear regression models examined levels of depression and anxiety by self-reported vicarious racism and vigilance. RESULTS: Controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, among both Asian and Black Americans, greater self-reported vicarious racism was associated with more symptoms of depression (Asian: ß = 1.92 [95% CI, 0.97-2.87]; Black: ß = 1.72 [95% CI, 0.95-2.49]) and anxiety (Asian: ß = 2.40 [95% CI, 1.48-3.32]; Black: ß = 1.98 [95% CI, 1.17-2.78]). Vigilance was also positively related to symptoms of depression (Asian: ß = 1.54 [95% CI, 0.58-2.50]; Black: ß = 0.90 [95% CI, 0.12-1.67]) and anxiety (Asian: ß = 1.98 [95% CI, 1.05-2.91]; Black: ß = 1.64 [95% CI, 0.82-2.45]). CONCLUSIONS: Mental health problems are a pressing concern during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results from our study suggest that heightened racist sentiment, harassment, and violence against Asian and Black Americans contribute to increased risk of depression and anxiety via vicarious racism and vigilance. Public health efforts during this period should address endemic racism as well as COVID-19.