Intersected discrimination through the lens of COVID-19: The case example of Christian minority in Iraq.

Abstract

Compelling evidence proved that coronavirus disease (COVID-19) disproportionately affects minorities. The goal of the present study was to explore the effects of intersected discrimination and discrimination types on COVID-19, mental health, and cognition. A sample of 542 Iraqis, 55.7% females, age ranged from 18 to 73, with (M = 31.16, SD = 9.77). 48.7% were Muslims, and 51.3% were Christians (N = 278). We used measures for COVID-19 stressors, executive functions, intersected discrimination (gender discrimination, social groups-based discrimination, sexual orientation discrimination, and genocidal discrimination), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, status and death, existential anxieties, and health. We conducted independent samples t test between Muslims and Christians. We conducted hierarchical regression analyses using the Christian minority subsample to see if intersected discrimination is predictive of COVID-19 hospitalization. We conducted two-path analyses, one with intersected discrimination as an independent variable and the second with the different discrimination types as independent variables. Intersected discrimination predicted COVID-19 hospitalization. The primary discrimination type for Christians was genocidal discrimination. Christians had higher existential anxiety about status and death than Muslims. Intersected discrimination and discrimination types had a significant association with mental health, health, and cognition variables, with intersected discrimination, had a higher impact than each. Existential anxiety about the person's social and economic status was the critical outcome of intersected discrimination that trickles down to other variables. COVID-19 stressors had significant effects on depression, PTSD, generalized anxiety, and Status existential annihilation anxiety (EAA). COVID-19 hospitalization and stressors are associated with inhibition and working memory deficits. We discussed the conceptual and

A Critical Outlook on Stress and Trauma Field in the Era of COVID-19 and Beyond: The Linear and Non-Linear Effects of Cumulative Stressors and Traumas on Psychopathology: Are They Mostly Mediated by the Centrality of Events and Existential Anxieties?

“…Intersected discrimination was found to significantly contribute to COVID-19 infection and stressors and is behind the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on minorities. (Kira et al, 2021a(Kira et al, , 2022a(Kira et al, , 2022b, and accounted for the highest variance in complex PTSD (Kira et al, 2022c).…”

“…Further, the dynamics of trauma and stress accumulation (e.g. Kira, et al, 2008Kira, et al, , 2013Suliman et al, 2009;Yehuda et al, 1995) and proliferation (Kira et al, 2018a(Kira et al, , 2022a(Kira et al, , 2022b(Kira et al, , 2022cLowe et al, 2020) contribute significantly to the impact of the single trauma on psychopathology. That may mean that the indirect effects of cumulative and continuous stressors and traumas on psychopathology may be more significant than the triggering event (Kira et al, 2019b).…”

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“…Den dafür notwendigen Beschluss hatte der Gemeinsame Bundesausschuss bereits am 15.12.2020 gefasst, die sog. "Methodenrichtlinie" (2). Die Grundlagen für die Vergütung der Telemonitoringleistungen der Vertragsärzte hat der erweiterte Bewertungsausschuss mit seinem Beschluss am 15.12.2021 geschaffen (3).…”

“…Gruppe Immunchemo: *HAP/*HAX(+RTX), *EPOCH(+RTX), GDP/GemOx(+RTX), Etoposid(+RTX); Gruppe Mono: Polatuzumab(+RTX), Lenalidomid(+RTX), Brentuximab(+RTX), Pixantron, Ibrutinib, Bendamustin(+RTX), Rituximab(RTX); Einzelkategorien: CAR-T, Allo/Auto SZT; Hilfskategorien: Verstorben, Off-Label/Studie, Kein definiertes Regime. 2 Zusätzlich werden EBM-Codes für Bestrahlungsplanung (25340,25341,25342) und Hochvolttherapie (25320,25321,25322,25323) abgefragt. In Tabelle 2 sind den Regimen entsprechende Wirkstoffe zugeordnet.…”

The importance of clarifying the conceptual basis underlying cognition-optimizing interventions: Commentary on Moreau (2022).

“…For example, the dynamics that suppress cognitive abilities in females and minorities, and even in Whites who were seriously exposed to traumas, were scientifically clarified on a solid conceptual and empirical basis (e.g., Nguyen & Ryan, 2008). As COVID-19 taught us, intersected discrimination not only disproportionately kills minorities and victims of severe traumas it also suppresses cognitive abilities and leads to poor mental health and reduced achievement (e.g., Kira, Al-Noor, et al, 2022; Kira, Rice, et al, 2022; Kira, Rihan Ibrahim, et al, 2022).…”