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Cited by 264Racial and Ethnic Identity ResearchCOVID-19 and Mental HealthMental Health Treatment and Access

Vicarious Racism and Vigilance During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Mental Health Implications Among Asian and Black Americans

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Chae, David H., Yip, Tiffany, Martz, Connor D., Chung, Kara, Richeson, Jennifer A., Hajat, Anjum, Curtis, David S., Rogers, Leoandra Onnie +1 more·2021·Public Health Reports®
DOI 10.1177/00333549211018675PMC PMC8203039
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Abstract

Objectives: Experiences of vicarious racism—hearing about racism directed toward one’s racial group or racist acts committed against other racial group members—and vigilance about racial discrimination have been salient during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined vicarious racism and vigilance in relation to symptoms of depression and anxiety among Asian and Black Americans. Methods: We used data from a cross-sectional study of 604 Asian American and 844 Black American adults aged ≥18 in the United States recruited from 5 US cities from May 21 through July 15, 2020. Multivariable linear regression models examined levels of depression and anxiety by self-reported vicarious racism and vigilance. Results: Controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, among both Asian and Black Americans, greater self-reported vicarious racism was associated with more symptoms of depression (Asian: β = 1.92 [95% CI, 0.97-2.87]; Black: β = 1.72 [95% CI, 0.95-2.49]) and anxiety (Asian: β = 2.40 [95% CI, 1.48-3.32]; Black: β = 1.98 [95% CI, 1.17-2.78]). Vigilance was also positively related to symptoms of depression (Asian: β = 1.54 [95% CI, 0.58-2.50]; Black: β = 0.90 [95% CI, 0.12-1.67]) and anxiety (Asian: β = 1.98 [95% CI, 1.05-2.91]; Black: β = 1.64 [95% CI, 0.82-2.45]). Conclusions: Mental health problems are a pressing concern during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results from our study suggest that heightened racist sentiment, harassment, and violence against Asian and Black Americans contribute to increased risk of depression and anxiety via vicarious racism and vigilance. Public health efforts during this period should address endemic racism as well as COVID-19.

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  • Extensive evidence shows negative mental health effects of race-related stress in POC.

    “Despite extensive evidence showing the negative mental health effects of race-related stress in POC [6-11,14-17] and the promise of mindfulness meditation to help these individuals cope [20-24,26,30-32,79], this evidence-based treatment continues to be understudied among this high-risk population in both traditional [30,35,36] and digital formats [46-48].”

    From App-Based Mindfulness Meditation for People of Color Who Experience Race-Related Stress: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial (2022) · cites this paper as [16]

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Authors
Chae, D. H., Yip, T., Martz, C. D., Chung, K., Richeson, J. A., Hajat, A., Curtis, D. S., Rogers, L. O., & LaVeist, T. A.
Affiliations
  • Tulane University (US)
  • Fordham University (US)
  • Auburn University (US)
  • Yale University (US)
  • University of Washington (US)
  • University of Utah (US)
  • Northwestern University (US)
Corresponding author
Chae, David H.
ORCID
Venue
Public Health Reports®
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2021-05-25
Volume
136
Issue
4
Pages
508-517
ISSN
  • 0033-3549 (ISSN-L)
  • 1468-2877
DOI
10.1177/00333549211018675
PMC
PMC8203039
OpenAlex
W3165357914
Cited by
264
References
76
Citations by year
2026: 35 · 2025: 42 · 2024: 62 · 2023: 71 · 2022: 43 · 2021: 11
FWCI
64.76
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations
  • Public Health Reports (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (P30ES007033)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Racial and Ethnic Identity Research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
Keywords
vicarious racism, sustained attention, COVID-19 pandemic, depression, anxiety, Asian Americans, African Americans, racial discrimination, racism, mental health
MeSH terms
COVID-19, Adult, Anxiety, Asian, Black or African American, Cross-Sectional Studies, Depression, Female, Humans, Male, United States, Linear Models, Racism

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