The mental health experiences of ethnic minorities in the UK during the Coronavirus pandemic: A qualitative exploration

Abstract

BackgroundWorldwide, the Coronavirus pandemic has had a major impact on people's health, lives, and livelihoods. However, this impact has not been felt equally across various population groups. People from ethnic minority backgrounds in the UK have been more adversely affected by the pandemic, especially in terms of their physical health. Their mental health, on the other hand, has received less attention. This study aimed to explore the mental health experiences of UK adults from ethnic minorities during the Coronavirus pandemic. This work forms part of our wider long-term UK population study “Mental Health in the Pandemic.”MethodsWe conducted an exploratory qualitative study with people from ethnic minority communities across the UK. A series of in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 women, 14 men and 1 non-binary person from ethnic minority backgrounds, aged between 18 and 65 years old (mean age = 40). We utilized purposefully selected maximum variation sampling in order to capture as wide a variety of views, perceptions and experiences as possible. Inclusion criteria: adults (18+) from ethnic minorities across the UK; able to provide full consent to participate; able to participate in a video- or phone-call interview. All interviews took place via MS Teams or Zoom. The gathered data were transcribed verbatim and underwent thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke carried out using NVivo 12 software.ResultsThe qualitative data analysis yielded seven overarching themes: (1) pandemic-specific mental health and wellbeing experiences; (2) issues relating to the media; (3) coping mechanisms; (4) worries around and attitudes toward vaccination; (5) suggestions for support in moving forward; (6) best and worst experiences during pandemic and lockdowns; (7) biggest areas of change in personal life. Generally, participants' mental health experiences varied with some not being affected by the pandemic in a way related to their ethnicity, some sharing positive experiences and coping strategies (exercising more, spending more time with family, community cohesion), and some expressing negative experiences (eating or drinking more, feeling more isolated, or even racism and abuse, especially toward Asian communities). Concerns were raised around trust issues in relation to the media, the inadequate representation of ethnic minorities, and the spread of fake news especially on social media. Attitudes toward vaccinations varied too, with some people more willing to have the vaccine than others.ConclusionThis study's findings highlight the diversity in the pandemic mental health experiences of ethnic minorities in the UK and has implications for policy, practice and further research. To enable moving forward beyond the pandemic, our study surfaced the need for culturally appropriate mental health support, financial support (as a key mental health determinant), accurate media representation, and clear communication messaging from the Governments of the UK.

Who do we trust and how do we cope with COVID-19? A mixed-methods sequential exploratory approach to understanding supportive messages across 35 cultures

“…Many focused on a broader sense of connectedness with the whole world, saying that “everyone in the world” was “cheering” for them (Female, aged 25, Taiwan), “waiting for [their] fast recovery” (Female, aged 28, Philippines), seeing them as “family” (Male, aged 33, Canada), and being “like a real team” (Male, aged 49, Argentina). A recent qualitative study also evidenced that having extensive supportive networks is helpful for coping with the emotional and practical challenges during lockdown (van Bortel et al, 2022 ).…”

“…In this subtheme, we used the collective term “religious/spiritual coping” to refer to the use of benevolent religious reappraisals and spiritual support to find comfort, meaning, and strength in the adversity (Pargament, 2001 ; Park, 2007 ). Recent research found that religious/spiritual coping is especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic for people who were struggling through lockdown or coping with grief or loss (van Bortel et al, 2022 ).…”

“…Strength-based coping reflects participants’ positive responses toward the COVID stress as they believe they can draw on their personal strengths, skills, and resources to cope with adversity (Waters, 2015 ). For example, strengthening one’s physical health through exercises such as walking, cycling, and home workouts has found to be one of the most common coping strategies people used during the pandemic (van Bortel et al, 2022 ).…”