Coronavirus Trauma and African Americans’ Mental Health: Seizing Opportunities for Transformational Change

Snowden, Lonnie R.; Snowden, Jonathan M.

doi:10.3390/ijerph18073568

Cited by 21 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 51 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Mental wellbeing has continued to deteriorate over the past few years among minority populations in the US, including Blacks/African Americans [ 12 ]. Our findings corroborate others that demonstrate that the COVID-19 pandemic worsened the pre-existing inequities in mental health [ 13 ]. Access to mental health services was further limited while pre-existing conditions were exacerbated by stressors related to health concerns and socioeconomic factors.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

COVID-19 impact on mental health, healthcare access and social wellbeing – a black community needs assessment

Okoro

Vosen

Allen

et al. 2022

Int J Equity Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate effect on the Black/African American population. In addition to the higher infection rates and the worse outcomes, there were other unintended consequences of the pandemic. The study objective was to determine the impact of COVID-19 on the Black/African American community. Methods A needs assessment was conducted using a mixed-methods approach. To address this specific study objective, an item included in the survey questionnaire asked respondents (n = 183) about their greatest worry related to CODID-19. Interviews and focus group discussions were conducted to further explore individual and community perceptions. Results The areas of greatest concern were Health (41.0%), Family (25.1%), Finances (8.2%), and Education (4.9%). The needs assessment revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on the mental health and wellness, healthcare access and utilization, and social aspects of life the Black community. Emerging themes revealed that there was worsening mental health for many, limited healthcare access and under-utilization, and profound disruption of the social cohesive identity of the Black/African American community. Conclusion Pre-existing structural inequities are implicated in the mental health impact, as well as the under-utilization of and limited access to healthcare services in the Black/African American population. The impact on social well-being emphasizes the important role of culture in the population health of communities of color, further supporting the need for culturally-responsive public health interventions when targeting these communities.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

COVID-19 impact on mental health, healthcare access and social wellbeing – a black community needs assessment

Okoro

Vosen

Allen

et al. 2022

Int J Equity Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Particularly, the emerging syndemic of COVID-19, health inequities, and racism has yielded poor outcomes in health, economics, and social wellness, which has exacerbated poor mental health among African Americans [ 51 ]. We found that almost all participants were experiencing stress on some level with women having higher stress levels, reflecting studies emerging in the literature [ 17 , 33 , 52 , 59 ]. Because women naturally experience more stress and anxiety compared to men, the COVID-19 pandemic may be exacerbating this difference [ 12 , 21 ].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

“…They are also more likely to be threatened by reductions in pay or hours, temporary furloughs, or permanent layoffs [ 35 ]. Collectively, this syndemic—COVID-19 pandemic, racism, and “structural inequity”—contributes to psychosocial distress in marginalized communities and has prompted the opportunity for a transformational change [ 52 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychosocial Stressors and Coping Strategies Among African Americans During Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic: a Qualitative Study

Gillyard

Davis

Parham

et al. 2022

J. Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objectives The disproportionate impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) on African Americans along with associated inequities in social determinants of health (SDOH) and racism increase their vulnerability to the psychosocial impact of COVID-19. This qualitative study applied the socio-ecological model (SEM) to explore psychosocial stressors, coping styles, and needs to improve psychosocial health among unique subgroups of African Americans in early pandemic stages. Methods Sixty-two African Americans (16 parents, 15 young adults, 16 essential workers, and 15 individuals with underlying medical conditions) participated in qualitative, semi-structured interviews between May and September 2020. Interview data were analyzed based on the SEM using thematic analysis. Results The majority (84%) reported being stressed with parents having the highest level. Four themes emerged : (1) our COVID-19 pandemic state of mind, (2) top stressors in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, (3) coping strategies during COVID-19, and (4) needs during the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce stress. While there were similarities, different stressors were experienced among subgroups, which yielded different coping styles and needs from stakeholders across multi-levels to improve their psychosocial health. Conclusions Findings suggest current and future pandemic response plans need targeted strategies across multiple levels of influence to address the psychosocial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on African Americans.

show abstract

“…They underscore the intensity of the situation for the Black community, the pernicious intersections of impoverished living conditions, lack of access, stigmatization, and a history of mistrust of the health care system rooted in hundreds of years of mistreatment. All these factors contribute to making African Americans the most adversely affected population in the United States in terms of deaths, anxiety levels, and burdens of care (Snowden and Snowden 2021).…”

Section: "We Were Already In a Crisis": Covid-19 In The Afican Americ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Crisis, Alterity, and Tradition: An Anthropological Contribution to Critical Phenomenology

Mattingly¹

2022

pjcp

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

One does not just live in a crisis: a crisis calls for action. Etymologically, from the Greek krisis, it is a turning point or a moment of decision. It not only alters perception; it alters the demands for living. It stands out from the everyday. If we follow Gail Weiss (2008), we could say that a crisis is a moment when the ground called “ordinary life” is interrupted in such a way that it no longer functions as an out-of-awareness backdrop but itself becomes the visible figure. But what happens when the ground is already permeated by crises, large and small? How should we think about crisis when we cannot call upon a simple binary—times of crisis and somehow livable normal times? How to think, conceptually, about those communities who live with what is variously termed “slow death” (Berlant 2011), “slow violence,” (Nixon 2011) or “chronic crisis” (Vigh 2008) that make the everyday a source of such continual threat that crisis and non-crisis shade into one another? I ask these questions in the context of my twenty-year history of research in African American communities in which families are caring for children with disabilities and chronic illnesses.

show abstract

Coronavirus Trauma and African Americans’ Mental Health: Seizing Opportunities for Transformational Change

Cited by 21 publications

References 51 publications

COVID-19 impact on mental health, healthcare access and social wellbeing – a black community needs assessment

COVID-19 impact on mental health, healthcare access and social wellbeing – a black community needs assessment

Psychosocial Stressors and Coping Strategies Among African Americans During Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic: a Qualitative Study

Crisis, Alterity, and Tradition: An Anthropological Contribution to Critical Phenomenology

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About