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.

Smoking Behaviors Among Black and Hispanic Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States. The risk of smoking poses an even greater threat for racial/ethnic minorities, particularly Black and Hispanic cancer patients who face a range of existing disparities in healthcare. Despite these risks for poor health outcomes among this population, little is known about the smoking behaviors of Black and Hispanic cancer patients. The purpose of this review was to understand differences in smoking prevalence, intensity, and cessation between Black, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic White cancer patients and survivors. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach as our framework, we conducted a systematic review of the literature. Our review discusses the methods, population, and implications of 37 included articles. Conclusions reflect the need to establish intentional and systematic measurement of smoking behaviors to best understand the risks of smoking among Black and Hispanic cancer patients.

The COVID-19/racial injustice syndemic and mental health among Black Americans: The roles of general and race-related COVID worry, cultural mistrust, and perceived discrimination.

This study explored intersecting concerns about COVID-19 and racial injustice against Black people in the United States using a syndemic perspective. Findings from a multistate COVID-19 needs assessment project examined the association of general and race-related concerns about COVID-19 and concerns about police violence against Black people with mental health symptoms in a sample of 2480 Black Americans. The role of cultural mistrust in vaccination status was also examined. Concerns about COVID-19 were positively associated with concerns about police violence and associated with worse mental health. Nonvaccinated individuals were higher in cultural mistrust but lower in perceived discrimination than vaccinated individuals. Perceived discrimination partially mediated the relationship between race-related concerns about COVID-19 and mental health symptoms. Findings can inform the development of culturally responsive strategies to address the syndemic effects of COVID-19 and racial injustice.