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Introduction: Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase in racial discrimination and xenophobia directed towards Asians has been documented in Western countries. The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have also led to increases in mental health problems among people worldwide. Individuals from Asian backgrounds are at high risk for experiencing a dual-threat, due to risk for racial discrimination, in addition to general life and COVID-19-specific stressors. In Canada, the largest population of foreign- and Canadian-born immigrants are from Asian origins, while 74.9% of Canada’s international students in Canadian universities come from Asian countries. Considering the increase in incidents of racism and violence against Asian communities in Canada and the potential impacts of discriminatory events, our goal is to investigate associations between in-person and online racial discrimination and mental health among university students from Asian backgrounds, and the extent to which general coping strategies (e.g., problem-focused, emotion-focused, physical activity) contribute to better mental health outcomes among students. Because individuals from immigrant backgrounds, including Asian, are highly heterogeneous in terms of their immigration characteristics (e.g., immigrant status, length of residence), we will also examine the extent to which cultural processes (i.e., acculturation, cultural identity) affect associations between racial discrimination and mental health. Methods and analyses: University students from Asian backgrounds will be asked to complete an online survey examining mental health, in-person and online racial discrimination, physical activity, coping strategies, and cultural processes (i.e., acculturation, cultural identity). Hierarchical multiple regressions will be conducted to examine associations between racial discrimination and mental health, and the moderating role of coping strategies and cultural processes. Ethics and Dissemination: This project has received ethics approval from the University of Ottawa Research Ethics Board. Results of the study will be published in UOJM and can later be submitted for internal or external conference presentations or other journals, recognizing UOJM as the primary publisher.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in mental health problems in the population worldwide. During the pandemic, individuals from East Asian backgrounds have been blamed for COVID-19 and faced xenophobic attacks, leading to increased incidents of racial discrimination. We administered an online survey to examine (a) associations between in-person and online racial discrimination and mental health (i.e., anxiety and depression) among East Asian university students (n=169) in Canada; and (b) the extent to which coping strategies and ethnic/cultural identity stage (e.g., exploration, resolution, affirmation) moderate the associations between discrimination and mental health. Results from hierarchical regressions indicated that experiencing online racial discrimination predicted more anxiety (b= .263, SE= .070, p< .001) and depression (b= .296, SE= .073, p< .001) symptoms. Using emotion-focused disengagement coping strategies predicted more anxiety (b= .705, SE= .129, p< .001) and depression (b= .763, SE= .127, p< .001). However, identity affirmation (i.e., positive feelings towards ethnic group) predicted less depression (b= -.533, SE= .245, p= .031). Results suggest that exposure to online racial discrimination during the pandemic has a negative effect on East Asian students’ well-being. However, positive feelings towards one’s ethnic identity may protect against mental health problems related to experiences of racial discrimination.

Purpose: The goal of this paper is to examine racial/ethnic discrimination among young adults from Asian backgrounds, the extent to which these experiences affect their mental health, and whether cultural processes and coping strategies mitigate the impact of discrimination on mental health.   Background: Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) originating from Wuhan, China, there has been an increase in discrimination and xenophobia directed towards Asians worldwide, most prominently in Western countries. Fear of experiencing discrimination can harm mental health. Perceptions of discrimination and ways of coping with it may be influenced by cultural processes, such as acculturation and coping strategies. For young people, the consequences of negative bias towards one’s group, in addition to facing COVID-19-related stressors, could be harmful to mental health.   Objectives: Racial/ethnic discrimination experienced among Asians living in Canada within the COVID-19 context and potential cultural processes (acculturation orientation, coping strategies) that might reduce the impact of discrimination on mental health.   Methods: Articles on the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and racial/ethnic discrimination concerning the pandemic within the North American context were reviewed to examine the extent to which ethnocultural factors were addressed in the recent literature. Within the COVID-19 context, the discrimination experiences and well-being of young adults aged 17-25 years old were examined. To investigate whether cultural processes are associated with perceptions of racial/ethnic discrimination, related topics such as coping strategies, acculturation orientation, and physical health, earlier articles were sought out, with a primary focus on Canada and the US.  Keywords searched on Google Scholar, PsychINFO, and PubMed databases included Asian and Chinese racial/ethnic discrimination, COVID-19, Canada, coping with stressors, and Asian acculturation. Research on COVID-19 was examined from 2019 onward, while acculturation, coping, and discrimination articles from 1999 to 2021 were considered.   Discussion: Since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a decline in mental health worldwide. Select groups, notably those from low SES backgrounds, youth, and people from Asian backgrounds have been affected more strongly than the general population. Low SES groups have faced poorer health outcomes due to limited resources. Individuals from Asian backgrounds have been targets of xenophobic attacks, being blamed for the Coronavirus and accused of spreading it in the Western context. During this time, young adults have also experienced a massive shift in their daily routine of school and socializing, increasing their isolation and thereby affecting their mental health. To cope with the stressors, a variety of strategies have been used, such as social support and exercise. These strategies may play a particularly adaptive role in the mental health of people at risk of experiencing ethnic discrimination   Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on young adults’ mental health due to social isolation and changes in daily routines. Most research on Asians in North America has been from the US with limited findings from Canadian samples. Findings regarding the specific mental health impacts that COVID-19 has had on individuals from Asian backgrounds, the stigma and ethnic discrimination they are facing, their coping mechanisms, and their mental health in Canada are currently limited. This dual threat for Asian young adults makes them particularly vulnerable in the context of the current pandemic.   Keywords: COVID-19, Asian young adults, xenophobia, racial discrimination, acculturation, coping