Intersected discrimination through the lens of COVID-19: The case example of Christian minority in Iraq.

Abstract

Compelling evidence proved that coronavirus disease (COVID-19) disproportionately affects minorities. The goal of the present study was to explore the effects of intersected discrimination and discrimination types on COVID-19, mental health, and cognition. A sample of 542 Iraqis, 55.7% females, age ranged from 18 to 73, with (M = 31.16, SD = 9.77). 48.7% were Muslims, and 51.3% were Christians (N = 278). We used measures for COVID-19 stressors, executive functions, intersected discrimination (gender discrimination, social groups-based discrimination, sexual orientation discrimination, and genocidal discrimination), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, status and death, existential anxieties, and health. We conducted independent samples t test between Muslims and Christians. We conducted hierarchical regression analyses using the Christian minority subsample to see if intersected discrimination is predictive of COVID-19 hospitalization. We conducted two-path analyses, one with intersected discrimination as an independent variable and the second with the different discrimination types as independent variables. Intersected discrimination predicted COVID-19 hospitalization. The primary discrimination type for Christians was genocidal discrimination. Christians had higher existential anxiety about status and death than Muslims. Intersected discrimination and discrimination types had a significant association with mental health, health, and cognition variables, with intersected discrimination, had a higher impact than each. Existential anxiety about the person's social and economic status was the critical outcome of intersected discrimination that trickles down to other variables. COVID-19 stressors had significant effects on depression, PTSD, generalized anxiety, and Status existential annihilation anxiety (EAA). COVID-19 hospitalization and stressors are associated with inhibition and working memory deficits. We discussed the conceptual and clinical implications of the results. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).