Effects of racism and discrimination on mental health among young people in Victoria, Australia, during COVID-19 lockdown

Racism and discrimination are fundamental determinants of health inequities, with young people particularly vulnerable. Since the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, reports of racism and discrimination rose sharply. This study examined direct discrimination, vicarious racial discrimination, heightened vigilance, worries about experiencing racial discrimination, COVID-19-related stressors and their associations with young people's mental health during COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. A community-based, cross-sectional online survey collected data from 363 young people aged 16–24 years living in Victoria, Australia, of whom 45.3% self-identified as being from a multicultural background and 3.7% as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. 73.7% reported direct discrimination, 88.9% reported vicarious racial discrimination, 84.3% reported heightened vigilance, and 62.8% reported worries about experiencing racial discrimination. Half (51.3%) of the participants experienced one or two COVID-19-related stressors. 53.1% of participants reported moderate-to-high levels of distress or negative mood state. Experiences of direct discrimination, vicarious racial discrimination, heightened vigilance, worries about experiencing racial discrimination and multiple COVID-19-related stressors (3+) were associated with negative mood state, after adjusting for ethnicity, age, gender and socioeconomic position. Addressing racism and discrimination is critical to addressing health inequities for young people.