COVID-19 and the Racial Reckoning: Implications for Black Americans' Mental Health and Human Rights

Overview: Intersections of COVID-19 and the epidemic of police-involved killings are traumatic, holding serious implications for the mental health and human rights of Black Americans. Mental health interventions should be informed by historical context, trust-building and de-stigmatization efforts and cultural humility. It is imperative that social work education integrate these principles.Proposal text: BACKGROUND/RATIONALE
COVID-19. The deleterious effects of COVID-19 on Black people in the U.S. became alarmingly apparent once race-specific data were available. Prevalence rates, severity of symptoms, hospitalizations and mortality rates disproportionately impacted the Black community, intensifying already existing racial disparities (Millet et al., 2020). In early 2021, the mortality rate for Black people (179.8 per 100,000) was substantially higher than that of their White (150.2) and Asian (96.0) counterparts (APM Research Lab, 2021). Inequities within the social determinants of health, such as employment, have also exacerbated the conditions of Black people (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). In terms of employment and COVID-19, Black people are highly represented among essential workers who were required to continue to work in person; thereby increasing their risk of exposure to the coronavirus (Blau et al., 2020; Gould & Wilson, 2020). According to Bartsch and colleagues (2020), the median medical costs associated with a symptomatic COVID-19 case exceed $3,000, which significantly exacerbates economic strain.

Police-Involved Killings, a Racial Reckoning and Black Lives Matter. Social media and news cycles continuously highlighted numerous deaths of Black people like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. National and global responses in the form of protests against racism and police brutality as human rights violations amplified the Black Lives Matter movement (Pew Research Center, 2020). Even with these protests, fatal police shootings of black people continued to occur (Cohen, 2020). Feelings of hopelessness and outrage over racism were perpetuated for millions of people who were indirectly traumatized by continuous exposure to video footage, distressing images and social media regarding these events. Research has associated media viewing of traumatic events with adverse mental health symptoms such as depressive and acute stress, and PTSD (Hopwood & Schutte, 2017; Neria & Sullivan, 2011).

Adverse Mental Health. Rises in adverse mental health conditions have been observed during the pandemic (Czeisler et al., 2020), such as symptoms of depression, suicidal ideation, substance use as a means of coping, and anxiety (Panchal et al., 2021). Similarly, there is some evidence that in/directly associates police violence against Black people with adverse mental health conditions (Bor et al., 2018; Geller et al., 2014).

Call to Action. The intersections of these issues magnify the existence of human rights violations such as systemic and structural racism in health care, employment, and the justice system. Because racism is associated with adverse mental health (Paradies et al., 2015); the psychological well-being and mental health of Black people are especially vulnerable in this context.

APPROACH
This conceptual presentation is a review of relevant scholarly research, epidemiological studies, and news reports. Historical and contemporary sources are combined to frame our examination of these intersections impact the mental health of Black Americans. Racism, discrimination, and health disparities are acknowledged. Principles of anti-racist mental healthcare, healing, and restoration (Cenat, 2020; Cooper & Williams, 2020) guide recommendations for social work education specific to CSWE's policy and accreditation standards for engagement, assessment, intervention, and advocacy with Black populations (CSWE, 2015).