Department of Health Behavior and Policy, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, 830 East Main Street, 4th Floor, Richmond, VA, 23298-0430, USA.
Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA.
BMC Public Health. 2023 Apr 25;23(1):762. doi: 10.1186/s12889-023-15640-9.
We aim to identify factors that explain emotional distress among underserved populations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Starting in August 2020, we conducted an online epidemiological survey among 947 U.S. adults. The survey asked a wide array of constructs, including demographics, past-month substance use, and psychological distress. We developed a path model to understand how financial strain, age, and substance use are associated with emotional distress among People of Color (POC) and those living in rural areas.
22.6% (n = 214) of participants were POC; 114 (12%) resided in rural areas; 17.2% (n = 163) made between $50,000 and $74,999 annually; and the emotional distress average was 1.41 (SD = 0.78). POC, especially those younger, experienced higher rates of emotional distress (p < .05). People living in rural contexts reported lower rates of emotional distress through low alcohol intoxication and less financial strain (p < .05).
We found mediating factors related to emotional distress among vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Younger POC experienced higher rates of emotional distress. People in rural communities had less emotional distress when they had fewer days spent intoxicated by alcohol, which was associated with lower financial strain. We conclude with a discussion of important unmet needs and future research directions.
我们旨在确定在 COVID-19 大流行期间服务不足人群中情绪困扰的解释因素。
从 2020 年 8 月开始，我们对 947 名美国成年人进行了在线流行病学调查。该调查询问了广泛的结构，包括人口统计学、过去一个月的物质使用和心理困扰。我们开发了一个路径模型，以了解财务压力、年龄和物质使用如何与有色人种（POC）和居住在农村地区的人的情绪困扰相关。
22.6%（n=214）的参与者为 POC；114 人（12%）居住在农村地区；17.2%（n=163）年收入在 50,000 美元至 74,999 美元之间；情绪困扰的平均水平为 1.41（SD=0.78）。POC，尤其是年龄较小的人，情绪困扰的发生率更高（p<.05）。居住在农村环境中的人报告情绪困扰的发生率较低，因为他们的酒精中毒天数较少，财务压力较低（p<.05）。
我们发现了与 COVID-19 大流行期间弱势人群情绪困扰相关的中介因素。年轻的 POC 经历了更高的情绪困扰率。当农村社区的人因饮酒而导致的醉酒天数较少时，他们的情绪困扰就会减少，这与财务压力较低有关。我们最后讨论了重要的未满足需求和未来的研究方向。
