ABSTRACT
Purpose: Immigrants comprise about 14% of the existing population of the United States. The period under Trump administration and COVID-19 in particular have been challenging for immigrants. The goal of this review was to present a landscape of immigrants in the US and their experiences during the exclusionary environment under Trump administration and the pandemic. Method: The study presents descriptive findings and chi-square results utilizing data collected from a survey. Our sample (N = 490) was collected during the early 2021. Results: Findings indicate differences in COVID experiences, stress impact as a result of travel bans, and resiliency by race. Minority communities compared to those who were White were disproportionately impacted. Discussion and Conclusion: By drawing on the literature, research and policy briefs and the study data, we discuss mental health implications and increased discrimination against immigrants. We propose ways in which researchers, practitioners and policy advocates can enhance support for immigrants. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which started in 2019, has created unprecedented public health problems, mental health crises, and economic and social problems. These effects have been studied by numerous researchers on the general population but none on hospitalized and discharged COVID-19 patients. AIM: To assess psychological and social problems among hospitalized and discharged COVID-19 patients. METHODS: During lockdown and post-lockdown in India, we interviewed 500 COVID-19 patients admitted at our tertiary care center during their hospitalization and post-discharge period for psychological and social problems. RESULTS: The common psychological issues in hospitalized patients during lockdown were anxiety and misconceptions about COVID-19, while insomnia, anxiety, and frustration were common during the post-lockdown period. The typical social problems in hospitalized patients during the lockdown were containment-related issues, discrimination, longer wait for repeat COVID-19 tests, and boredom; whereas issues related to employment and financial matters were common during post-lockdown. Psychological problems comparatively decreased whereas social problems increased after discharge. CONCLUSION: Unrehearsed mitigation strategies at the beginning of the pandemic unknowingly led to various psychological and social problems. It was further aggravated by a lack of information and miscommunication.