Vicarious racism and vigilance during the COVID-19 pandemic: Mental health implications among Asian and Black Americans

This research summary can be incorporated into a lecture or shared with students as a reading to demonstrate how psychological science explores the diversity of human experience. This resource can also be used to encourage students to identify the major components of a research study (i.e., the hypothesis or study question, sample, method, and findings). Students can be asked to identify potential limitations of the study and encouraged to discuss the implications for our understanding of human behavior. Keywords highlight how concepts within and across pillars are incorporated into a single research study.

The period of time starting in March of 2020 is often referred to as a double pandemic. In addition to the widespread occurrence of coronavirus, there was a widespread increase in racism (both anti-Black and anti-Asian) as shown by increased health inequities and racially motivated insults, attacks, and murders. David Chae and his colleagues conducted a study to explore the possible impact of this double pandemic on the mental health of Black and Asian Americans. The researchers conducting this study collected data during the summer of 2020 to explore the relationships among vicarious racism (i.e., hearing about racism or racist acts directed toward one’s racial group), racial vigilance (i.e., persistently feeling tense or worried about being the target of racial discrimination) and symptoms of depression and anxiety among Asian (N = 604) and Black Americans (N = 844). The research team collected information from these participants using online surveys across the United States. The results from their regression analyses (a statistical approach that looks at how one variable influences another) suggested that experiences of vicarious racism were associated with both increased depressive and anxiety symptoms. Vigilance regarding racism was also associated with depression and anxiety symptoms. The authors highlight the importance of understanding the ways in which racial animus (i.e., the harboring of resentment or negative sentiment towards racial groups) may contribute to poorer mental health.

Chae, D. H., Yip, T., Martz, C. D., Chung, K., Richeson, J. A., Hajat, A., Curtis, D. S., Rogers, L. O., & LaVeist, T. A. (2021). Vicarious racism and vigilance during the COVID-19 pandemic: Mental health implications among Asian and Black Americans. Public Health Reports, 136(4), 508–517. https://doi.org/10.1177/00333549211018675opens in new window

Race, Mental Health, Racism

The development of resources to broaden diversity and representation in the teaching of high school psychology resources is an APA Committee of Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools initiative supported by funding from the American Psychological Foundation David and Carol Myers Fund. This resource was developed by Eric Castro, Shawn C.T. Jones, PhD, Allyn Olsen, and Catherine Sanderson, PhD.