COVID-19 Mental Health Disparities

Abstract

Communities of color in the United States have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Studies exploring the mental health implications of these disparities have only just begun to emerge. The purpose of this study is to better understand mental health concerns and test whether social determinants of health and COVID-19-related experiences influence these concerns. In April 2020, we launched a community-based survey for adults across the United States. A total of 341 respondents completed the survey, which included questions about demographics, depression, social isolation, work environment, and preexisting mental health conditions. We generated matched controls by adding county data from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to our survey. Chi square, Pearson product-moment correlation, point biserial correlation, and logistic regression were estimated. Our analysis revealed that respondents who identified as Latinx, Latin@, or Hispanic were 10 times more likely to meet the threshold score for depression. Similarly, individuals with prior mental health conditions and those who expressed feelings of social isolation due to COVID-19 were 3 times more likely to meet the threshold score for depression. These results confirm our hypothesis that communities of color will likely experience disproportionate mental health impacts of COVID-19-specifically, the mental health sequela that emerge from exposure, cumulative burden, and social isolation. We discuss the implications for expanding access and quality of health and mental health services to address current inequities.