COVID-Related Stressors and Psychological Distress Among Chicago Residents: the Moderating Role of Race.

Background: Racial and ethnic minorities have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and have experienced greater financial loss, housing instability, and food insecurity due to COVID-related restrictions. As a result, Black and Hispanic communities may be at greater risk of experiencing psychological distress (PD).

Methods: Using data collected between October 2020 and January 2021from 906 Black (39%), White (50%), and Hispanic (11%) adults, we assessed racial/ethnic differences in the effect of three COVID-related stressors-employment stress, housing instability, and food insecurity-on PD using ordinary least square regression.

Understanding COVID-19 Risk Perceptions and Precautionary Behaviors in Black Chicagoans: A Grounded Theory Approach.

Objectives: To determine whether actual community-level risk for COVID-19 in the Black community influenced perceptions of community-level and personal risk and how self-assessment of personal risk was reflected in the adoption of COVID-19 precautionary behaviors.

Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 20 Black Chicago adults from February to July 2021. A grounded theory approach was used for the qualitative analysis and initial, focused, and theoretical coding were performed.

Rapid Behavioral Health Assessment Post-disaster: Developing and Validating a Brief, Structured Module.

To develop and validate a brief, structured, behavioral health module for use by local public health practitioners to rapidly assess behavioral health needs in disaster settings. Data were collected through in-person, telephone, and web-based interviews of 101 individuals affected by Hurricanes Katrina (n = 44) and Sandy (n = 57) in New Orleans and New Jersey in April and May 2018, respectively. Questions included in the core module were selected based on convergent validity, internal consistency reliability, test-retest reliability across administration modes, principal component analysis (PCA), question comprehension, efficiency, accessibility, and use in population-based surveys.

Hopelessness Among Middle-Aged and Older Blacks: The Negative Impact of Discrimination and Protecting Power of Social and Religious Resources.

Background And Objectives: Hopelessness-a state of despair characterized by a negative outlook towards the future and a belief in insurmountable challenges-is a risk factor for major depression, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality among older adults. It is also an understudied consequence of discrimination. Older blacks disproportionately report experiencing discrimination and, as a result, may be at greater risk of feeling hopeless.