It is well documented at this point of the pandemic, that the virus disproportionately effects ethnic minorities due to their jobs, lifestyle, living conditions etc. According to various papers this disproportionate effect is seen as a higher number of cases, critical care admissions and deaths. Prior to the pandemic, mental health inequalities have been present in ethnic minority groups, the social isolation, lack of physical activity, job security and many other factors influenced by the pandemic have further exacerbated these inequalities.
In general, individuals of ethnic minorities experience higher levels of mental health disorders such as PTSD, alcohol dependence and depression. These higher levels are present due to past trauma, less than ideal living conditions, high rates of incarceration and behavioural issues which are more likely to be attributed to health issues or delinquency. Inequalities in mental health care arise because there is reduced access to health resources/services and decreased cultural understanding in health care providers and services. This gap in understanding often results in lack of diagnosis or misdiagnosis as the presenting symptoms of individuals may not necessarily what is expected under specific conditions. For example, in some cultures, there is a very high mental stigma associated with mental health issues. Therefore, if a service care provider is not aware and tells the person outright that they are concerned about specific aspects of their mental health, the individual as well as their family and peers may deny it. This denial and emphasis that ‘everything is okay’ would likely cause the care provider to miss the diagnosis or attribute the symptoms to something else. This cultural understanding, especially around stigma, as well as potential caregiver biases results in decreased access to and of mental health resources by communities of ethnic minorities as it can result in improper intervention or further racialization and marginalization of the individual. The lack of access of services can also be tied to language barriers, lack of insurance/underinsurance, lack of diversity of heath care providers and a general distrust in the health care system.
Given that ethnic minorities are at higher risk of developing mental health disorders such as PTSD, this pandemic (a traumatic event) is likely to further increase the risk of its development in this population. As mentioned previously, ethnic minorities are more likely to be harshly affected by COVID-19 as a result of a number of factors, these same factors increase their individual susceptibility to COVID-19 also increase their susceptibility to negative mental health outcomes. Given these factors, individuals face increased job insecurity, home insecurity, money problems, increased anxiety associated with contracting COVID-19 and so many more destabilizing issues that increase the strain on their mental health.
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