The COVID-19 pandemic not only triggered a global health crisis but also exacerbated deeply rooted social inequalities, disproportionately affecting marginalized communities. Among these, Hispanic and Latino populations in the United States have experienced complex challenges balancing the stress of a public health emergency with ongoing systemic discrimination. A groundbreaking study by Odame, Elhabashy, Adzrago, and colleagues, published in the 2025 volume of BMC Psychology, breaks down the interplay between mental health symptoms and discrimination faced by both immigrant and US-born Hispanic or Latino adults during the pandemic. This extensive investigation sheds light on the intricate psychological impacts shaped by social determinants, providing valuable insights into the prevalence and nature of mental health disturbances amid a backdrop of racial and ethnic discrimination.
Mental health is a multifaceted construct influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors, making it particularly susceptible to environmental stressors like those introduced or aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The study’s methodology combined comprehensive quantitative analyses and validated psychometric instruments to assess mental health symptomatology. Researchers utilized standardized measures to gauge symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress, ensuring a robust detection of clinical and subclinical manifestations within Hispanic and Latino cohorts. This approach allowed for nuanced differentiation between immigrant and US-born individuals, whose experiences significantly diverge due to variances in acculturation, social integration, and exposure to systemic biases.
One of the pivotal findings relates to the heightened incidence of depressive and anxiety symptoms among immigrant Hispanic adults compared to their US-born counterparts. This phenomenon is attributable to compounded stressors, including socioeconomic volatility, access to healthcare, and particularly culturally specific experiences of discrimination. Discrimination here encompasses both overt and covert forms—ranging from microaggressions in workplaces and public settings to institutional biases within health services—which collectively deteriorate psychological resilience and well-being. The research thus highlights a vital correlation between perceived discrimination and the frequency and severity of mental health symptoms during the pandemic.
Discrimination mechanisms play a significant role in psychological distress by perpetuating feelings of exclusion and vulnerability. The study effectively utilized self-reported measures of discrimination frequency and severity, revealing that immigrant individuals reported significantly more frequent experiences of discrimination compared to US-born Hispanics or Latinos. This aligns with broader sociological theories emphasizing that immigrant groups often face an initial acculturation shock and societal rejection, experiences intensified during crises such as a pandemic. These findings suggest that mental health interventions must consider discrimination not as an isolated condition but as a matrix of psychosocial stressors deeply embedded within systemic structures.
From a neurobiological perspective, chronic exposure to discrimination can alter hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis functioning, leading to dysregulation of cortisol release and heightened inflammatory responses—biological pathways implicated in anxiety and depression. The research integrates this biopsychosocial understanding by advocating for mental health models that recognize discrimination as a chronic stressor capable of triggering neuroendocrine and immunological dysregulation. This aspect underscores the urgency of addressing social determinants of health in psychological treatment protocols, especially within Hispanic and Latino immigrant communities disproportionately impacted by these biological sequelae.
The study also delves into the role of social support networks and their buffering effect against discrimination-induced psychological distress. For US-born Hispanic or Latino adults, stronger identification with their cultural heritage and longer established community ties correlate positively with resilience factors such as emotional support and help-seeking behaviors. Conversely, immigrant participants often face fragmented social networks due to language barriers and geographic displacement, rendering them more vulnerable to isolation and mental health decline during pandemic-related social restrictions. These dynamics illuminate how cultural continuity and community solidarity can serve as protective factors, shaping mental health trajectories amidst adversity.
Examining structural determinants, the research illuminates disparities in healthcare access exacerbated by the pandemic. Immigrant Hispanic and Latino adults often face restricted access due to lack of insurance coverage, fear of immigration enforcement, and language discordance with healthcare providers. These barriers not only delay or preclude timely mental health treatment but also enhance stigma and mistrust toward mental health services. The study’s findings underscore that improving cultural competence and dismantling systemic barriers within healthcare institutions are critical steps toward equity in mental health outcomes.
The intersectionality of identity factors including immigration status, socioeconomic position, and ethnicity is a recurrent theme in the research. It identifies that low-income individuals within the Hispanic and Latino population thus stand at a higher risk of adverse mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 crisis. Economic precariousness compounds psychological strain by amplifying stress related to housing instability, food insecurity, and employment loss, which, when coupled with discrimination, creates a multiplicative distress effect. The authors advocate for integrated social and mental health policies that address these intersecting vulnerabilities holistically rather than in isolation.
Notably, the study’s design incorporated longitudinal elements, offering temporal insights into how discrimination and mental health symptoms evolved across pandemic phases. This temporal mapping revealed that initial pandemic-related fears and disruptions exacerbated psychological symptoms, while ongoing discrimination responses variably influenced symptom persistence and severity. These dynamics suggest the necessity of continuous monitoring and adaptive mental health interventions tailored to evolving social conditions rather than static, one-size-fits-all approaches.
Importantly, the research challenges prevailing public health narratives that homogenize Hispanic and Latino populations by highlighting intra-group heterogeneity in mental health experiences and discrimination exposures. By disaggregating data according to immigrant status, length of residency, and acculturative stress levels, the study paints a granular picture that refines our understanding of health disparities. Such granularity facilitates the design of targeted prevention and intervention programs that resonate with the specific lived realities of diverse subpopulations within the broader Hispanic and Latino demographic.
The implications of this study extend beyond academia into policy and practice. It calls for an urgent expansion of culturally responsive mental health services that incorporate discrimination screening and trauma-informed approaches. Building partnerships with community organizations trusted by immigrant and Hispanic populations can enhance outreach efficacy, mitigate stigma, and promote early intervention. Additionally, the findings support advocacy for social reforms addressing structural racism and immigration policies that indirectly but substantially impact mental health outcomes during and beyond the pandemic.
From a public health communication standpoint, the study underscores the critical need for messaging that acknowledges and validates the compounded stress Hispanic and Latino individuals face. Transparency about the social determinants of mental health can foster greater empathy and mobilize community-level resources. Moreover, incorporating personal narratives and evidence-based insights into public dialogues can help deconstruct stigma surrounding mental illness and discrimination, encouraging affected individuals to seek support without fear of judgment or reprisal.
In conclusion, this seminal research by Odame et al. offers a comprehensive analysis of how mental health symptoms intersect with discrimination dynamics among immigrant and US-born Hispanic or Latino adults amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It advances the scientific discourse by integrating psychosocial, neurobiological, and structural perspectives while emphasizing the heterogeneity of experiences within this population. Its findings pave the way for informed public health strategies, equitable mental health care delivery, and robust social policies aimed at alleviating health disparities exacerbated by crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Ultimately, this work contributes an essential voice to the imperative global conversation on mental health equity and social justice.
Subject of Research: Mental health symptoms and experiences of discrimination among immigrant and US-born Hispanic or Latino adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Article Title: Mental health symptoms and discrimination among immigrant and US-born Hispanic or Latino adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Article References:
Odame, E.A., Elhabashy, M., Adzrago, D. et al. Mental health symptoms and discrimination among immigrant and US-born Hispanic or Latino adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC Psychol 13, 504 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02798-7
Image Credits: AI Generated
