Application of the Weathering Framework: Intersection of Racism, Stigma, and COVID-19 as a Stressful Life Event among African Americans

Wakeel, Fathima; Njoku, Anuli

doi:10.3390/healthcare9020145

Cited by 31 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 118 publications

(142 reference statements)

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“…During the time frame of the study, in addition to the global pandemic, the United States was also experiencing widespread protests against systemic racial injustice that may have further impacted stress levels in BIPOC postpartum women. 54 While our sample underrepresented most racial groups, there are known racial disparities in maternal and mental health. 55,56 Cumulative discrimination throughout the lifetime affects levels of stress, resilience, and overall health.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Postpartum stress and protective factors in women who gave birth in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic

Mollard

Kupzyk

Moore

2021

Womens Health (Lond Engl)

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Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused considerable stress throughout the world. Little is known about how postpartum women who gave birth during the early months of the pandemic were impacted. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the associations between potential risk, protective factors, and psychological distress among postpartum women who gave birth during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Postpartum women over the age of 18 years who gave birth in the US hospitals between March and July of 2020 and spoke English completed a survey about their experiences. Demographic and health variables were measured via self-report. Stress was measured using the Perceived Stress Scale-10. Mastery was measured with the Pearlin Mastery Scale. Resilience was measured with the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale-2. Results: This study included 885 women. Participants had higher stress and lower resilience relative to pre-pandemic norms. Participants had high levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. Women who had an infant admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit had more stress. Income, full-time employment, and partnered relationships were associated with lower stress. Resilience and mastery were related to lower stress, depression, and anxiety. Black, Indigenous, or People of Color women showed higher stress and lower resiliency. Single women were likely to report lower levels of mastery than partnered women. Conclusion: Stress, depression, and anxiety were high in postpartum women in this study. Income, partnered relationships, and employment security, along with protective traits such as mastery and resilience, may reduce the impact of stress on postpartum women in a pandemic. Care models should be modified to support women during a pandemic. Health disparities exist in postpartum stress. Future interventions should focus on building resiliency and mastery and ensuring appropriate resources are available to postpartum women in a pandemic.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Postpartum stress and protective factors in women who gave birth in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic

Mollard

Kupzyk

Moore

2021

Womens Health (Lond Engl)

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“…The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the disparate health outcomes of structural racism among Black, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian/Alaska Native American populations. These groups compose a higher proportion of frontline workers who are more likely to be exposed to the virus through work, less likely to have access to health insurance and high-quality health care to uphold their health, and have a higher occurrence of underlying medical conditions that make them susceptible to COVID-19-related sickness, hospitalization, and death [58][59][60]. To illustrate the effect of structural racism on COVID-19 outcomes, racial disparities in socioeconomic outcomes could result in racially patterned differences in access to health-sustaining resources, such as adequate shelter, nutritious food, healthcare, masks, and sanitizers, along with racially disparate environmental and occupational risks [29,59].…”

Section: Racism and Covid-19mentioning

confidence: 99%

Changing the Narrative: Structural Barriers and Racial and Ethnic Inequities in COVID-19 Vaccination

Njoku

Joseph

Felix

2021

IJERPH

Self Cite

109

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The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected racial and ethnic minority groups in the United States. Although a promising solution of the COVID-19 vaccination offers hope, disparities in access again threaten the health of these communities. Various explanations have arisen for the cause of disparate vaccination rates among racial and ethnic minorities, including discussion of vaccine hesitancy. Conversely, the role of vaccine accessibility rooted in structural racism as a driver in these disparities should be further explored. This paper discusses the impact of structural barriers on racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 vaccine uptake. We also recommend public health, health system, and community-engaged approaches to reduce racial disparities in COVID-19 disease and mortality.

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“…Recent work by Wakeel and Njoku [38] in the US, notes that these challenges occur across the life span, contributing to weathering of various aspects of health, including mental health. The compounding pressures of the pandemic and protests to end anti-black racism among our participants forms a clear pathway to deepening mental health challenges of young people from racialised backgrounds, as the constant flow of information affirms Black people's proximity to mortality, creating an additional burden that young Black people are forced to navigate [39][40].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring experiences and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young racially minoritised people in the United Kingdom: A Qualitative Study

Burgess¹,

Kanu²,

Matthews³

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Within high-income-countries, the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted people from racially minoritised backgrounds. There has been significant research interrogating the disparate impact of the virus, and recently, interest in the long-term implications of the global crisis on young people’s mental health and wellbeing. However, less work explores the experiences of young people from racialised backgrounds as they navigate the pandemic, and the specific consequences this has for their mental health. Forty young people (age 16-25) from black, mixed and other minority backgrounds and living in London, participated in consecutive focus group discussions over a two-month period, to explore the impact of the pandemic on their lives and emotional wellbeing. Thematic analysis identified seven categories describing the impact of the pandemic, indicating: deepening of existing socioeconomic and emotional challenges; efforts to navigate racism and difference within the response; and survival strategies drawing on communal and individual resources. Young people also articulated visions for a future public health response which addressed gaps in current strategies. Findings point to the need to contextualize public health responses to the pandemic in line with the lived experiences of racialised young people. We specifically note the importance of long-term culturally and socio-politically relevant support interventions. Implications for policy and practice are discussed

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Application of the Weathering Framework: Intersection of Racism, Stigma, and COVID-19 as a Stressful Life Event among African Americans

Cited by 31 publications

References 118 publications

Postpartum stress and protective factors in women who gave birth in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic

Postpartum stress and protective factors in women who gave birth in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic

Changing the Narrative: Structural Barriers and Racial and Ethnic Inequities in COVID-19 Vaccination

Exploring experiences and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young racially minoritised people in the United Kingdom: A Qualitative Study

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