Racial Differences in Self‐Appraisal, Religious Coping, and Psychological Well‐being in Later Life During the COVID‐19 Pandemic

Abstract

Older adults from minority groups, especially those with pre-existing health conditions, have been generally considered the most vulnerable to the COVID-19. Due to greater health disadvantages prior to the pandemic, its adverse health impact in terms of mortality has been disproportionately higher on Blacks than Whites. The existing health disadvantages and worsening economic conditions due to the pandemic are likely to be anxiety-inducing that could adversely impact the mental health of Black older adults. Existing studies conducted in the pre-pandemic era have documented paradoxical findings on race differences in later life psychological well-being.

Pre-pandemic mental health and coping strategy usage during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional analysis of the Southern Cities Study

“…Although the third strategy (i.e., trying to find comfort in religion) had not been explicitly recommended by public health authorities, it has been identified by prior research as an important method of coping in some subpopulations both prior to and during the pandemic [15,16]. We also examined this strategy because the specific geographic region of interest in our study, the U.S. South, has a high proportion of adults who identify as being highly religious [17].…”