Direct and vicarious experiences of discrimination and rumination among Latinos before and during the beginning of the COVID‐19 pandemic

Abstract

AbstractPeople from racial/ethnic minority groups can experience discrimination in various ways, including both being the direct target of discrimination (directly experienced discrimination) and learning about others' experiences of discrimination (vicariously experienced discrimination). Additionally, the frequency of these experiences may change over time as larger societal changes occur. In this retrospective self‐report study, we examined how Latinos' experiences of discrimination changed during the beginning of the COVID‐19 pandemic, examining both direct and vicariously experienced discrimination, in real life and online. Participants reported significantly less discrimination in‐person during the beginning of the pandemic relative to before the pandemic (both direct and vicarious), but no changes for direct or vicarious discrimination experienced online. We also examined changes in rumination, a maladaptive coping strategy thought to prolong negative effects of discrimination. Rumination was experienced more frequently than discrimination in general and increased during the beginning of the pandemic. Importantly, experiences of discrimination and rumination were related to mental health outcomes, including anxiety, depression, and loneliness.