Everyday Discrimination and Trajectories of Transdiagnostic Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety Among Young Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Everyday discrimination is a stressor associated with adverse mental health outcomes. The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately impacted marginalized communities and exacerbated vulnerability to worse mental health outcomes among these groups. However, the effects of discrimination on psychopathology during the pandemic have yet to be comprehensively explored. The present study examined the impact of everyday discrimination on shared and specific symptoms of anxiety and depression (i.e., Anhedonia-Apprehension, Fears, and General Distress) in early stages of the pandemic among young adults (N = 129). Results demonstrated that higher prepandemic everyday discrimination predicted less change in General Distress and Anhedonia-Apprehension from pre-COVID to the first COVID timepoint, but slower reductions in Anhedonia-Apprehension throughout early stages of the pandemic. Discrimination neither significantly predicted pre-COVID to COVID change in Fears, nor change in Fears or General Distress across COVID timepoints. Findings from this study suggest that prepandemic discrimination may have led to an initial symptom buffering response, but ultimately served as a sensitizing factor for a slower return to baseline as far as Anhedonia-Apprehension during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future work is needed to further examine the combined impact of discrimination and concurrent stressors on symptom progression. Clinical Impact Statement This study demonstrated that discrimination predicted an initial blunted response for symptoms of General Distress and Anhedonia-Apprehension, but ultimately a slow return to baseline for Anhedonia-Apprehension. Findings suggest discrimination may represent a sensitization factor to poor mental health outcomes in the face of a global stressor. This study also highlights the necessity of longitudinal assessment of the impact of discriminatory acts.