Intersectionality of Disparities and COVID-19

The COVID-19 has severely affected people’s mental state all over the world. Today many scientists explore the question of psychological rehabilitation related to the pandemic implications. Developing this issue, it is essential to address all the peculiarities of minorities, analyzing the impact of the virus on different communities. The webinar called “Child Trauma and COVID-19” was devoted to discussing the negative effect of the COVID-19 on the communities which are usually discriminated against (Examining the intersectionality of disparities, 2021). The main aim of the webinar is to highlight the necessity to support the psychologically and medically three discriminated communities: the black people, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI), Hispanic/Latinx, and LGBTQ.

The webinar authors analyze the poor economic situation of the black people and correlate it with the low level of treatment ad vaccination opportunities due to discrimination. The authors emphasize that discrimination is the primary reason black people cannot access the proper treatment (Examining the intersectionality of disparities, 2021). However, the COVID-10 also opened new opportunities for improving the living conditions in black communities. The authors offer to focus on creating equity long-term recovery programs helping to improve cross-cultural cooperation.

The LQBTQ community is now at the significant risk of psychological humiliation due to the lockdown and lack of peers’ support. Moreover, the authors emphasize that people from this community avoid visiting doctors due to discrimination (Examining the intersectionality of disparities, 2021). As a result, they are at a high risk of having the negative psychological and physical implications of COVID-19. The authors offer to increase the affirmation and mental support for people from this community through telehealth, advocacy groups, and community support on social media (Examining the intersectionality of disparities, 2021). Thus, the long-term treatment of the COVID-19 involved trauma will be more effective.

Another community mentioned in the webinar exposed to the pandemic’s highly negative impacts is the AAPI. Considering the Asian roots of the virus spreading, the AAPI community is under significant discrimination, which negatively affects its representatives’ mental state (Examining the intersectionality of disparities, 2021). The authors of the webinar believe that the long-term post-pandemic cognitive treatment opportunities for the AAPI community should include organizing the cultural humility outreach for mental health. Moreover, it is essential to make the healthcare information available for AAIP through translation.

The last minority mentioned in the webinar is the Hispanic/Latinx. The authors discuss the deplorable state of this community, mentioning racism, poverty, and xenophobia (Examining the intersectionality of disparities, 2021). Such historically-conditioned disparities caused the language and cultural barriers preventing the Hispanic/Latinx community from getting proper treatment and vaccination opportunities. The webinar authors believe that the development of telehealth and translation of healthcare information into Spanish can significantly improve this community’s mental and physical state. In order to ensure the long-term after-COVID-19 treatment, the Hispanic/Latinx communities should be granted access to an equal standard of care and services.

The authors discussed many astonishing aspects of the COVID-19 implications. Primarily it was shocking for me to hear about the AAPI discrimination that is illogical and unfounded. Mentioned communities experience difficulties due to pandemics and are highly exposed to the post-traumatic implications of the virus. As a result, they need to be supported by providers, medical professionals, and governmental programs. Mental support for the discriminated communities, which the authors discuss, is an essential direction that should be developed currently and in the future. From my point of view, if all aspects explored in the webinar are strengthened, we will help minorities overcome the pandemic-evolved difficulties and improve cultural cooperation.

Reference

NCTSN. (2021). Examining the intersectionality of disparities and COVID-19. Web.