Paradoxical Effects of Ethnic Identification on Threat and Anxiety During COVID-19 Pandemic. A Study of Ethnic Minority and Immigrant Groups

Public Policy Relevance Statement Ethnic minorities and immigrants are particularly vulnerable to mental health issues in times of COVID-19 pandemic. Based on a large study of immigrant and minority, we propose that strong sense of interconnectedness (ingroup ties) among members of minority and immigrant groups can effectively reduce levels of stress and anxiety experienced in times of pandemic. This finding can inform policies and actions of key stakeholders dealing with diversity in times global health crises. Studies based on the "social cure" hypothesis suggest the positive role of strong social identifications for well-being and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the three-factorial model of identification that distinguishes ingroup centrality, ingroup affect, and ingroup ties as separate aspects of group identification, we propose that their impact on COVID-19-related stress and anxiety would be more complex. In a set of three studies carried out among ethnic minorities in Poland (Lemkos, Kashubs, and Silesians) and a study of a large immigrant group (Ukrainians in Poland), we found that higher levels of ingroup centrality generate more COVID-19-related threats and higher levels of anxiety, whereas ingroup ties tend to reduce anxiety during the pandemic. Based on this evidence we propose that the more exclusive aspects of identification (ingroup centrality) pose a risk to mental health during the time of the pandemic, whereas the more binding ones (ingroup ties) serve as a true "social cure."