COVID-19 Pandemic-Related Stressors and Black Mothers' Mental Health
Dados Bibliográficos
| AUTOR(ES) | |
|---|---|
| AFILIAÇÃO(ÕES) | Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA, University of Maryland School of Medicine |
| ANO | 2025 |
| TIPO | Artigo |
| PERIÓDICO | Journal of Black Psychology |
| ISSN | 0095-7984 |
| E-ISSN | 1552-4558 |
| EDITORA | Annual Reviews (United States) |
| DOI | 10.1177/00957984241311773 |
| ADICIONADO EM | 2025-08-18 |
Resumo
We conducted a convergent mixed-methods study to assess the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on Black mothers' mental health. Black mothers ( N = 88) completed measures of pandemic-related stressors, mental health, racial centrality, and social support; 44 mothers participated in focus groups assessing mothers' pandemic-related stressors and coping strategies. Results of bootstrapped hierarchical linear regression analyses showed that pandemic-related stressors were positively related to anxiety and depressive symptoms. Social support significantly improved predicted variance in anxiety and depressive symptoms above and beyond pandemic-related stressors, slightly attenuating their association with negative mental health outcomes in a compensatory fashion. Results of reflexive thematic analysis generated the following themes and subthemes: work (job loss, essential workers), health (mental health, relational health, healthcare), housing (neighborhood violence, rat and insect infestation), parenting (child behavioral challenges, lack of support), race-based stressors (anger, hurt, and desensitization), and protective strategies to combat stress (well-being strategies, community cohesion). While Black mothers experienced a multitude of pandemic-related stressors associated with increased mental health symptoms, they identified social support and well-being strategies to combat stress.