Coping with COVID-19: Implications of Differences in Resilience across Racial Groups for Mental Health and Well-being

Carol Graham, Barton H. Hamilton, Yung Chun, Stephen Roll, Will Ross, Karen E. Joynt-Maddox and Michal Grinstein-Weiss
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Barton H. Hamilton: Washington University in St. Louis
Yung Chun: Washington University in St. Louis
Stephen Roll: Washington University in St. Louis
Will Ross: Washington University in St. Louis
Karen E. Joynt-Maddox: Washington University in St. Louis
Michal Grinstein-Weiss: Washington University in St. Louis

No 2020-067, Working Papers from Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group

Abstract: Question: In what ways has the COVID-19 pandemic revealed differences across racial groups in coping, resilience, and optimism, all of which have implications for health and mental well-being?; Findings: Data obtained from 5,000 US survey respondents using a national sample indicate that, despite extreme income and health disparities before and during the COVID-19 outbreak, Blacks and Hispanics remain more resilient and optimistic than their White counterparts. Moreover, the greatest difference in resilience, optimism and better mental health—is found between poor Blacks and poor Whites, with some linkages to behaviors in compliance with lockdown guidelines; Meaning: These deep differences in resilience have implications for the long-term mental health of different population groups in the face of an unprecedented pandemic. Better understanding these dynamics may provide lessons on how to preserve mental health in the face of public health and other large-scale crises.

Keywords: COVID-19; mental health; optimism; resilience (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I14 J15 J24 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020-09
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hap and nep-ltv
Note: MIP
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http://humcap.uchicago.edu/RePEc/hka/wpaper/Graham ... ng-with-covid-19.pdf First version, September 3, 2020 (application/pdf)

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