Brouillette Khadija, Aiello Olivia, Egbedeyi Onaopeoluwapo, Loggale Olga, Renzaho Andre M N, Maduforo Aloysius, Salami Oluwabukola
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.
Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
Can J Public Health. 2025 Mar 21. doi: 10.17269/s41997-025-01017-5.
The COVID-19 pandemic had a disproportionate impact on members of Canada's Black community. Morbidity and mortality rates were higher among Blacks, and the mental health of Black youth was particularly affected by health policy measures undertaken during the pandemic, such as social distancing and isolation. Despite this understanding, a lack of awareness remains regarding how containment measures from COVID-19, such as school closures, physical distancing, and lockdowns, impacted the mental health of Black youth in Canada.
We employed a qualitative description approach informed by Youth Participatory Action Research and guided by intersectionality theory as our methodological framework. Semi-structured interviews were used as the primary data generation method, enabling Black youths from across Canada to share their experiences of how the COVID-19 pandemic uniquely impacted their mental health. Thematic analysis was applied to analyze the data and identify key patterns and themes.
We recruited 48 Black youth, aged 16 to 30 years. Analysis revealed heightened stress, depression, and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. These mental health challenges were linked to prolonged isolation, academic disruptions, financial insecurity, precarious employment, and fears of police brutality, all of which were exacerbated by the pandemic's disproportionate impact on Black communities.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the mental health of Black youth in Canada. The results of this study highlight the urgent need for increased attention and investment in mental health initiatives specifically targeting Black youth across the country.
新冠疫情对加拿大黑人社区成员产生了不成比例的影响。黑人的发病率和死亡率更高，而且黑人青年的心理健康尤其受到疫情期间采取的健康政策措施的影响，比如社交距离和隔离措施。尽管有了这样的认识，但对于新冠疫情的防控措施，如学校关闭、物理距离措施和封锁，如何影响加拿大黑人青年的心理健康，人们仍然缺乏认识。
我们采用了一种定性描述方法，该方法以青年参与式行动研究为依据，并以交叉性理论为指导，作为我们的方法框架。半结构化访谈被用作主要的数据收集方法，使来自加拿大各地的黑人青年能够分享新冠疫情如何独特地影响他们心理健康的经历。采用主题分析法对数据进行分析，并确定关键模式和主题。
我们招募了48名年龄在16至30岁之间的黑人青年。分析显示，在新冠疫情期间，压力、抑郁和焦虑情绪加剧。这些心理健康挑战与长期隔离、学业中断、经济不安全、不稳定就业以及对警察暴行的恐惧有关，而疫情对黑人社区的不成比例影响使所有这些情况都更加恶化。
新冠疫情对加拿大黑人青年的心理健康产生了深远影响。本研究结果凸显了迫切需要更多关注并投资于专门针对全国黑人青年的心理健康倡议。
