COVID-19-Related Discrimination and Mental Distress: Mediating Role of Loneliness, Resilience, and Financial Worries

This study examines the relationship between COVID-19-related discrimination and mental distress in the later stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also explores whether this relationship can be accounted for by loneliness, resilience, and financial worries. A random sample of 302 respondents from four Upstate South Carolina counties completed surveys between March and August 2022. Results from path analysis indicate a strong positive association between experiences of COVID-19-related discrimination and mental distress, with approximately half of this association accounted for by loneliness, resilience, and financial worries. Additionally, job disruptions and material hardships account for the relationship between discrimination and financial worries. While recognizing that causal inferences cannot be drawn from the cross-sectional design, these findings highlight the interconnected social, psychological, and economic factors linked to discrimination and mental distress and suggest potential targets for future research and intervention.