Open AccessCOVID-19 and Mental Health Disparities in the Black American Population
Author(s) -
Israel Taylor
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
hca healthcare journal of medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2690-3830
pISSN - 2689-0216
DOI - 10.36518/2689-0216.1402
Subject(s) - mental health , health equity , socioeconomic status , population , pandemic , covid-19 , psychology , racism , psychiatry , medicine , criminology , gerontology , political science , public health , environmental health , nursing , law , disease , pathology , infectious disease (medical specialty)
Description The current COVID-19 pandemic has amplified health disparities that have long existed for minoritized groups in the United States. There have been disproportionate effects on the mental and physical health of the Black American population, specifically because of longstanding racial, social, and economic injustices. To fully understand the current state of Black mental health and the extent to which COVID-19 has impacted it, we examine historical examples of unjust mental health practices throughout generations. We then explore why depression, suicidality, and other mental illnesses may have a profound effect on a community that has been made vulnerable to socioeconomic shifts. The complex interplay of individual stress, generational trauma, targeted violence, and mass catastrophe undermines the mental well-being of many Black Americans. This issue requires a multi-systems approach to improve trust in medicine and increase access to quality mental healthcare.