Covid-19 Highlighted Mental Health Disparities
in Marginalized Communities
A mental health crisis in its traditional understanding can be understood as an unanticipated surge in mental health challenges that arise when the available resources aren’t enough to support demand.While this definition remains true for the general population, the pandemic has brought attention to issues that specifically affect low income communities, racial minorities,and immigrants.These populations experienced heightened levels of stress and social isolation caused by financial strain,lack of resources and a lack of support systems. For these populations the phrase “Mental health crisis” describes not only a state of mind but also systemic failures that interfere with their ability to access necessary resources in healthcare as well as social support.The mental health crisis for individuals with these disadvantaged backgrounds goes beyond just individual concerns.The mental health issues within these population serves to highlight the shortcomings in our public health systems which have not adequately provided the necessary resources for community outreach.The pandemic did not generate new problems however it showed the obstacles faced by underserved populations.
Individuals from low income backgrounds in the past have experienced barriers in accessing mental health care.A big factor contributing to this is the lack of healthcare coverage that is accessible.Not only is insurance a barrier but there also is a lack of providers in these communities. Furthermore the shift from traditional office setting to remote work and online education had a major impact on low income households. Many of which could not access the technology required or internet access.The differences in accessing these resources combined with managing pressures of work and family during lockdowns led to an increase in feelings of isolation and created new emotional turmoil.
During the Covid-19 Pandemic racial and ethnic minorities,especially Black, Indigenous, and latino communities, experienced a significantly higher mental health burden. A study published by the American Journal of Public health in 2021 indicates that Black and Latino Populations faced notably elevated levels of anxiety,depression,and posttraumatic stress throughout the pandemic. Many individuals within these populations felt increased stress and anxiety over ongoing racial tensions throughout the pandemic.These tensions were demonstrated by the tragic deaths of both Breonna Taylor and George Floyd among others.The psychological burden of racial trauma by the anxiety surrounding possibly contracting the disease increased mental health challenges within these communities.
Immigrant communities particularly those without legal documentation faced their own set of unique challenges during the pandemic including accessing mental health resources over fears of questions on their legal status in the country. “Poorer mental health has been further amplified during the pandemic because of lack of adequate and clear information regarding COVID-19‒related health and social services and limited financial resources for basic necessities. Social isolation may also increase the risk of mental health stressors among older immigrant adults who face cultural, linguistic, and digital access barriers” (Đoàn et al., 2021). Moreover the pandemic also affected immigrant communities economically since many of the industries that employed them such as construction and hospitality were the first to shut down.
In response to the growing mental health challenges during the pandemic, telehealth emerged which allowed users to connect with health care providers virtually as in person services became unavailable.Telehealth became a new platform and an additional means to delivering mental health services though challenges in accessing this type of care still persisted.
The Covid-19 Pandemic has undeniably highlighted the ongoing “mental health crisis” affecting underserved and underrepresented communities.The pandemic has amplified the pre existing gaps in healthcare access,social support and financial well being. Addressing the crisis within these populations requires not only improves access to mental health care but also an approach that examines the underlying factors of the gaps for standard of care.This includes expanding telehealth options, improving financial and social support systems, and addressing systemic discrimination.
References
American Journal of Public Health. (2021). Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Mental Health and Mental Health Care During The COVID‑19 Pandemic. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40615-022-01284-9
Đoàn, L. N., Chong, S. K., Misra, S., Kwon, S. C., & Yi, S. S. (2021). Immigrant Communities and COVID-19: Strengthening the Public Health Response. American journal of public health, 111(S3), S224–S231. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306433
Counterintuitive Fall 2024 
Why are there no spaces after your periods and commas?
Not necessarily. Even if anticipated, a surge in challenges can still be a crisis.
Well, saying that the pandemic EXPOSED a disparity is very different from claiming that the pandemic EXACERBATED a healthcare crisis. My understanding of your Hypothesis was that the pandemic made things worse for marginalized communities.
OK. So now have you shifted your argument to declare that the pandemic HEIGHTENED the stress on some communities more than on others? Or are you again saying that things are always worse for some communities, which isn’t much of a thesis at all?
One more time. If the failures are systemic, did the pandemic change anything?
That’s a lot of words. What does it mean? Shortcomings that haven’t provided resources for outreach? I’ll be looking for an explanation of that word salad.
Is that it, then? The pandemic didn’t change anything? It merely exposed disparities in health care between populations of means and populations that lack means? Is your thesis that poor people, and minorities, and immigrants don’t get adequate health care, and never have, and still don’t, and that the pandemic didn’t change anything? Why did we need the pandemic to demonstrate what everybody already knew?
Did I read that right? The barrier to care is that care is not available?
The shift to remote work and learning had a major impact on all workers. How was it different for low income households?
This is the first place you might be able to demonstrate an actual disparity. Isn’t it true that advantaged workers with jobs that COULD BE SHIFTED to home office work were LESS LIKELY to LOSE INCOME, whereas those with labor jobs in restaurants, hotels, transportation COULDN’T WORK FROM HOME and were therefore much more likely to MISS PAYCHECKS?
That doesn’t track. Internet access wouldn’t benefit the desk staff or cleaning crew at a closed hotel. Here’s a place where research would have helped you, though. The people more likely to miss paychecks were those least able to afford it.
You’re shifting your argument again, I think, from COVID exposed disparities to COVID caused disparities, but your evidence so far is that disadvantaged populations are less likely to have high-speed internet connections. Is that it?
I’m pretty sure they indicated EVERY population faced elevated stress and anxiety, but I’ll check your source.
Unless you’re suggesting that Breonna Taylor and George Floyd died because of COVID, it’s hard to see how the pandemic factors into this claim at all.
I guess you’re saying that disadvantaged communities, already stressed, suffered an additional layer of stress from the pandemic. And that’s OK. But again, it means the pandemic didn’t change a thing.
The same fears they had before COVID. There’s one sliver of difference you could explore. Were the immigrants who, before the pandemic, NEVER NEEDED TO SEEK HEALTHCARE more likely to SUDDENLY REQUIRE HEALTH CARE, therefore exposing how vulnerable their health had always been? That would be a valid claim.
Not seeing how COVID made this different for your target populations.
Not seeing how COVID made this different for your target populations.
As your classmates know, we don’t use these parenthetical citation tags in this class.
https://rowancomp2.com/gathering-exercises/informal-citation/
THERE YOU GO! Find a source to help you quantify this important distinction between your selected populations and the more privileged populations you want to distinguish them from. This is what I was looking for in my observations above.
That sounds like a blessing for everyone. Unless you’re going to claim that your selected populations were less able to access telehealth, I don’t see the relevance of this observation at all.
Without quite saying so, you’re admitting here that COVID didn’t actually change anything. It brought disparities to light. Decide which way you want to play this, Patrickthestar.
No different than before COVID.
No different than before COVID.
I hope you have nothing else to do this week, Patrickthestar. It’s a shame you didn’t post this months ago when it was due. You’ll have to really scramble to make the necessary improvements to your argument to distinguish it from your first draft.
I may not be able to spend nearly as much time on your other short arguments, if you’ve posted them, but I’ll do my best. If I can help direct your Google Scholar search in the direction of sources that will help quantify the disparities in WHO LOST JOBS during the pandemic or any other evidence that could show differences in the ways populations were affected, let me know.
Your initial grade for this post may be more than acceptable, but it will spoil your Portfolio grade if it fails to show the responsiveness to feedback that your Portfolio requires.
At 621 words, it’s also very shy on word count. Maybe those additional sources can provide you the material you need to boost your number of supportive claims.
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From the Syllabus:
Feedback and Revision
Instructor-commented drafts are required. The course blog will save all drafts of your work. It will be your sole responsibility to produce later drafts that respond to instructor feedback.
The Short Arguments and other Portfolio items will undergo revisions during the semester, so grade penalties and deadlines are somewhat flexible. One thing is certain: Portfolio materials MUST be available for professor feedback and student revision WELL BEFORE the end of the semester.
No student can pass the course whose work has not been reviewed early in the semester and thoroughly revised in response to feedback. The penalty, therefore, for repeated failure to post drafts and revisions timely will be a grade of F.