Dual Pandemics: Race-Related COVID Stress and Mental Health Outcomes in Black Individuals

Black individuals have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, likely due in part to historically rooted stressors that lie at the intersection of the COVID-19 pandemic and racism. We used secondary data from The Association of Black Psychologists' multi-state needs assessment of 2480 Black adults to examine the link between race-related COVID stress (RRCS) and mental health outcomes. We also examined the moderating roles of everyday discrimination, cultural mistrust, Black activism, Black identity, and spirituality/religiosity in these associations. T-tests revealed that several demographic and cultural factors are associated with RRCS endorsement. A series of regression analyses showed that endorsement of RRCS is associated with higher psychological distress and lower well-being, above and beyond several sociodemographic characteristics. While traditional cultural protective factors did not buffer against the effects of RRCS on mental health, cultural mistrust strengthened the positive association between RRCS and psychological distress; nonetheless, the association of cultural mistrusts with psychological distress was only seen in those who endorsed RRCS. We provide recommendations for policymakers, clinicians, and researchers to consider the impact of RRCS when addressing Black mental health and well-being in the age of COVID-19.

Perceptions of Mental Health and Exploring the Role of Social Activism Among African Americans Exposed to Media Coverage of Police Brutality and Protests

This study explored the role of social activism in the association of exposure to media coverage of police brutality and protests with perceptions of mental health. Data for this study came from a sample of African Americans (N = 304) who responded to an online survey. Perceptions of mental health were assessed using a single item developed by the research team. Exposure to police brutality and protests was measured by asking how often they had seen or heard about African Americans being victims of police brutality and seen or heard about protests on television, social media, or other outlets. Participants were also asked about the extent to which these events caused them emotional distress. Social activism was assessed by asking participants if they had ever participated in political activities, such as calling their representative. Moderation and mediation analyses were conducted using linear regression. Moderation analyses showed that greater emotional distress from watching media coverage of police brutality and protests was associated with worse perceptions of mental health only when engagement in social activism was low. In contrast, mediation analyses indicated that greater frequency of and emotional distress from exposure to media coverage was indirectly associated with worse perceptions of mental health through increased engagement in social activism. Social activism may be an important method for coping with emotional distress from watching media coverage of police brutality and protests, but more research is needed to understand how African Americans might engage in social activism without adversely impacting mental health.