Perceived Discrimination and Mental Distress Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence From the Understanding America Study

Abstract

Introduction: This study examines COVID-19−associated discrimination regardless of infection status. It evaluates the contribution of various risk factors (e.g., race/ethnicity and wearing a face mask) and the relationship with mental distress among U.S. adults in March and April 2020, when the pandemic escalated across the country. Methods: Participants consisted of a probability-based, nationally representative sample of U.S. residents aged ≥18 years who completed COVID-19−related surveys online in March and April (n=3,665). Multivariable logistic regression was used to predict the probability of a person perceiving COVID-19−associated discrimination. Linear regression was used to analyze the association between discrimination and mental distress. Analyses were conducted in May 2020. Results: Perception of COVID-19−associated discrimination increased from March (4%) to April (10%). Non-Hispanic Black (absolute risk from 0.09 to 0.15 across months) and Asians (absolute risk from 0.11 to 0.17) were more likely to perceive discrimination than other racial/ethnic groups (absolute risk from 0.03 to 0.11). Individuals who wore face masks (absolute risk from 0.11 to 0.14) also perceived more discrimination than those who did not (absolute risk from 0.04 to 0.11). Perceiving discrimination was subsequently associated with increased mental distress (from 0.77 to 1.01 points on the 4-item Patient Health Questionnaire score). Conclusions: Perception of COVID-19−associated discrimination was relatively low but increased with time. Perceived discrimination was associated with race/ethnicity and wearing face masks and may contribute to greater mental distress during early stages of the pandemic. The longterm implications of this novel form of discrimination should be monitored.

Increased Self-Reported Discrimination and Concern for Physical Assault Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, and Filipino Americans

“…There are also numerous factors not controlled for in this study that could have contributed to participant self-reported discrimination, including exposure to social media and differences in shelter-in-place orders across regions. 11,26 While the current study did not show an increase in mental distress associated with self-reported racial/ethnic discrimination due to COVID-19 among Asian subgroups, previous studies have shown that Asians are less likely to report anxiety and depression because of stigma attached to mental disorders. [27][28][29] Despite the fact that an increase in anxiety and depression was not shown in this study, future studies should further explore the possible implications of COVID-19 discrimination on health and wellness using instruments that are sensitive in Asian populations.…”

“…11 Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Other API groups in the current study all experienced increased self-reported racial/ethnic discrimination due to COVID-19 than the rates previously reported for Asian Americans overall. 11 Additionally, while the current study found that certain Asian American subgroups reported high concerns for physical assault (up to 46% in Vietnamese Americans), previous studies have found that only 26% of Asian Americans overall feared someone might threaten or physically attack them. 2 These prior studies 2,11 did not disaggregate by Asian ethnic subgroups, masking any possible differences in experiences between them.…”

“…A recent study found that since the outbreak, Asians are twice as likely to experience discrimination compared to Whites, which was associated with significant mental distress. 11 Asians are also shown to be more likely to report adverse experiences due to their race or ethnicity, with three in ten Asian adults being subjected to racial slurs or jokes. 2 However, these studies were conducted on small Asian American sample sizes (278 and 119 respectively) and aggregated Asian American and Pacific Islander ethnic subgroups.…”

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on risk perceptions: differences between ethnic groups in Germany

“…Another avenue of future research concerns the role of perceived discrimination: in an American study, Blacks and Asians show an increase in perceived discrimination during the pandemic, which was associated with higher mental distress (Liu et al 2020). Since we operationalize risk perception as domain-specific worries, a more unstable mental state may be reflected in changed risk perceptions.…”

Predicting Psychological Distress Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic by Machine Learning: Discrimination and Coping Mechanisms of Korean Immigrants in the U.S.

“…On top of the common difficulties from the pandemic such as financial crisis, social isolation, and fear of disease, Asian populations in the U.S. have been experiencing an added layer of hardships since the beginning of the current pandemic [ 10 ]. As the first COVID-19 cases reported in the U.S. between January and February 2020 were identified from travelers arriving from China and their household contacts [ 11 ], Chinese and other East Asians were often seen as the origin and spreaders of the COVID-19 disease [ 12 ].…”