Citation
Grooms, Jevay; Ortega, Alberto; Rubalcaba, Joaquin Alfredo-Angel; & Vargas, Edward (2022). Racial and Ethnic Disparities: Essential Workers, Mental Health, and the Coronavirus Pandemic. The Review of Black Political Economy, 49(4), 363-380. PMCID: PMC9535460Abstract
Evidence is emerging of the pandemic disproportionately impacting communities of color. This study investigates mental health distress among essential workers during the coronavirus pandemic across race and ethnicity. We evaluate individual responses to the patient health questionnaire and general anxiety disorder questionnaire using a unique, nationally representative data set. Our findings suggest that essential healthcare workers reported the highest rates of mental health distress at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. However, when evaluated across race and ethnicity, we find that Black essential healthcare workers disproportionately report symptoms of anxiety; while, Hispanic essential healthcare workers disproportionately report symptoms of depression. Additionally, we find that being a Black or Hispanic essential nonhealthcare worker is associated with higher levels of distress related to anxiety and depression. These findings highlight the additional dimensions to which Black and Hispanic Americans may be disproportionately affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Furthermore, it calls into question how the essential worker classification, compounded by US unemployment policies, is potentially amplifying the mental health distress experienced by workers.URL
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/00346446211034226Reference Type
Journal ArticleYear Published
2022Journal Title
The Review of Black Political EconomyAuthor(s)
Grooms, JevayOrtega, Alberto
Rubalcaba, Joaquin Alfredo-Angel
Vargas, Edward
Article Type
RegularPMCID
PMC9535460Data Set/Study
National Panel Study of Coronavirus Pandemic (NPSC-19)Continent/Country
United States of AmericaState
NonspecificRace/Ethnicity
BlackHispanic/Latinx