Center on Enhancing Community Integration in Homeless Veterans, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System.
Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles.
Am J Orthopsychiatry. 2022;92(5):590-598. doi: 10.1037/ort0000633. Epub 2022 Jun 23.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to disproportionately impact people of color and individuals experiencing psychosis and homelessness. However, it is unclear whether there are differences by race in psychosocial responses to the pandemic in vulnerable populations. The double jeopardy hypothesis posits that multiply marginalized individuals would experience worse psychosocial outcomes. The present study investigated the clinical and functional initial responses to the pandemic in both Black ( = 103) and White veterans ( = 98) with psychosis (PSY), recent homelessness (RHV), and in a control group (CTL) enrolled in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare services. Clinical interviews were administered via phone at two time points: baseline (mid-May through mid-August 2020) and follow-up (mid-August through September 2020). The baseline interview also included retrospective measures of pre-COVID status from January 2020. There were no significant differences between Black and White veterans in depression, anxiety, or loneliness. However, Black veterans did endorse more fears of contamination, (1, 196.29) = 9.48, = .002. Across all groups, Black veterans had better family integration compared to White veterans, (1, 199.98) = 7.62, = .006. There were no significant differences by race in social integration, work/role productivity, or independent living. In sum, there were few significant differences between Black and White veterans in initial psychosocial response to the pandemic. The lack of racial disparities might reflect the presence of VA's wrap-around services. The findings also highlight the robust nature of social support in Black veterans, even in the context of a global pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
新冠疫情继续不成比例地影响有色人种和患有精神病及无家可归者。然而，在弱势群体中，针对疫情的心理社会反应是否存在种族差异尚不清楚。双重困境假说认为，多重边缘化个体的心理社会后果会更糟。本研究调查了在退伍军人事务部（VA）医疗服务中入组的患有精神病（PSY）、近期无家可归（RHV）的黑人（n=103）和白人退伍军人（n=98）以及对照组（CTL）对疫情的临床和功能初始反应。通过电话在两个时间点进行临床访谈：基线（2020 年 5 月中旬至 8 月中旬）和随访（2020 年 8 月中旬至 9 月）。基线访谈还包括 2020 年 1 月以来的 COVID 前状况的回顾性测量。黑人退伍军人和白人退伍军人在抑郁、焦虑或孤独方面没有显著差异。然而，黑人退伍军人确实更担心污染，(1, 196.29)=9.48, p=.002。在所有群体中，与白人退伍军人相比，黑人退伍军人的家庭融合程度更好，(1, 199.98)=7.62, p=.006。种族间在社会融合、工作/角色生产力或独立生活方面没有显著差异。总之，黑人退伍军人和白人退伍军人在对疫情的初始心理社会反应方面没有显著差异。种族差异的缺乏可能反映了 VA 全方位服务的存在。研究结果还强调了即使在全球大流行的背景下，社会支持对黑人退伍军人的强大作用。
