More Black and Latino Americans are facing economic challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to reporting higher rates of mental health concerns than their white peers, a new report shows.
The report, released by the Commonwealth Fund, analyses responses to the organization's 2020 International Health Policy COVID-19 Supplement Survey conducted in the U.S. and nine other countries from March 30 to May 25. The report analyzed responses from only the U.S. sample, which included 1,266 respondents, of which 791 were white, 146 were Black, 199 were Latino and 130 were classified as other.
Five survey findings:
1. Fifty-five percent of Latino and 44 percent of Black respondents reported experiencing an economic challenge because of the pandemic, far more than the 21 percent of white respondents who reported the same.
2. About 26 percent of Latino and 31 percent of Black respondents said they weren't ableto pay for basic necessities like food, heat or rent, compared to 10 percent of white respondents.
3. Forty percent of Latino and 39 percent of Black respondents reported experiencing stress, anxiety or great sadness that they found difficult to cope with on their own since the pandemic began, compared to 29 percent of white Americans.
4. Approximately 39 percent of women reported significant mental health concerns related to
COVID-19, 13 percentage points higher than men.
5. Forty-four percent of people with low income reported mental health concerns, far higher than the 26 percent of people with high income, who reported the same.
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