Black/Africana Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Stressors and the Role of Support

The disproportionate burden of COVID-19 on Black/Africana mental health necessitates more attention to identifying stressors adversely associated with Black/Africana mental health and whether informal and formal support can mitigate these deleterious associations. Study aims were to (a) identify stressors associated with mental health outcomes (depressive and anxiety symptoms and well-being) among Blacks/Africanas; and (b) examine the potential role of support (informal and formal) as moderators of the relation between stressors and mental health. A multi-state sample of 2403 Black/Africana adults participated in an online needs assessment of COVID-19’s impact on Black/Africana mental health. Economic stressors along with the endorsement of work-environment, healthcare access, employment-related, and social distancing stressors predicted one or more adverse mental health outcomes. Receipt of and/or satisfaction with informal and formal support moderated the association of economic stressors to mental health outcomes; however, the effect sizes were too small for interpretation. The implications of considering socio-contextual factors during pandemics in future research, programming, and policy interventions are discussed.