Racialized Exposure to Multiple COVID-19 Deaths and their Consequences for Mental Health

• In Event: 30859 - Mental Health in Crisis: From COVID-19 to Combat

Abstract

COVID-19 unleashed a bereavement crisis on a scale unseen in over a century. While evidence suggests COVID-19 deaths are particularly damaging to well-being, it is unclear how multiple losses from the pandemic affect mental health, or whether these effects vary depending on ethno-racial identity. Drawing on national survey data (n=1,818), we find that Black and Latinx individuals report significantly more COVID-19 deaths in their networks compared to White respondents, and in the aggregate, are more likely to experience the premature loss of close social ties due to the virus. While each additional death is associated with heightened psychological distress, compared to Whites, additional COVID-19 deaths exacerbate the effects of bereavement on depressive symptoms and anger for Latinx, though not Black, respondents. We discuss the implications of these findings for understanding the racialized nature of pandemic loss and its psychological sequelae.

Authors

• Matt Grace, Hamilton College

• Dong Min (Danny) Lee, Hamilton College