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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.

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.

Background. People 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 of Coronavirus victimization distress and Coronavirus racial bias beliefs on the mental health of young adult people of color. Method. An online survey administered to a national sample of 350 Black, Indigenous and Latinx adults (18 to 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. Results. Employment, 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. Conclusions. 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/ethnic minorities during the current and future health crises.

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