Factors associated with COVID-19-related mental health among Asian Indians in the United States

Mohammad Ikram, Nazneen Fatima Shaikh, Zasim Azhar Siddiqui, Nilanjana Dwibedi, Ranjita Misra, Jamboor K. Vishwanatha, Usha Sambamoorthi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Background: In the United States, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused increased mental health symptoms and mental illness. Specific subgroups such as Asian Indians in the US have also been subject to additional stressors due to unprecedented loss of lives in their home country and increased Asian hate due to the misperception that Asians are to be blamed for the spread of the SARS-CoV-2. Objective: We examined the various factors including discrimination associated with COVID-19-related mental health symptoms among Asian Indians. Methods: We administered an online survey between May 2021 and July 2021 using convenient and snowball sampling methods to recruit Asian Indian adults (age > 18 years, N = 289). The survey included questions on mental health and the experience with unfair treatment in day-to-day life. Descriptive analysis and logistic regressions were performed. Results: Overall, 46.0% reported feeling down, depressed, or lonely and feeling nervous, tense, or worried due to the COVID-19 pandemic; 90.0% had received at least one dose of vaccination and 74.7% reported some form of discrimination. In the fully-adjusted logistic regression, age (AOR = 0.95; 95%CI- 0.92, 0.97;p < 0.01) and general health (AOR=0.84; 95%CI- 0.73, 0.97; p < 0.015) were negatively associated with mental health symptoms. Participants who experienced discrimination were more likely (AOR=1.26; 95%CI- 1.08, 1.46; p < 0.01) to report mental health symptoms.

Original languageEnglish
Article number100472
JournalJournal of Affective Disorders Reports
Volume11
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2023

Keywords

  • Asian Indians
  • COVID-19
  • Depression
  • Discrimination
  • Mental health
  • Vaccination

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