Mapping Mental Health Disparities: The COVID-19 Mental Health Impact on Latino and African-American Communities in Los Angeles County

Abstract This paper seeks to investigate mental health disparities in minority communities in Los Angeles County. We sought to answer the following questions: (1) Have minority communities faced a disproportionate impact of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) infection in Los Angeles County? And if so, (2) Will these minority communities face a mental health crisis? Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Los Angeles Department of Public Health (LADPH) collected data on COVID-19 cases and death rates in minority communities. This paper utilized LADPH data to conduct three statistical tests, including the following: Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR), Getis-Ord Gi*, and Moran’s I. In addition, a collection of scholarly work on the effects of respiratory virus pandemics on mental health suggested that respiratory-related pandemics exacerbate Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depression. Our findings revealed that trends in COVID-19 cases can be densely concentrated in a geographical area, which we identify as a COVID-19 cluster. Through statistical analysis and a literature review, we determined that a COVID-19 cluster was in the area between I-10 and I-105. A close analysis of the COVID-19 cluster revealed that the top five cities within the cluster were predominantly comprised of Latinos or African Americans. Our research questions were answered, and we concluded that the Latino communities within the City of Bell Gardens, City of Cudahy, City of Commerce, Boyle Heights Community, City of Maywood, and City of Lynwood are at greatest risk of facing a mental health crisis post-COVID-19 pandemic. To conclude, the paper presents four recommendations for mental health providers serving minority populations in the Los Angeles County region.