Contributions of Trauma and Economic Insecurity to Psychological Distress in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: Racially minoritized women with limited socioeconomic resources are at increased risk for adverse psychological outcomes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Disproportionate rates of trauma exposure and economic insecurity likely heighten risk for these outcomes among socioeconomically vulnerable individuals, but the unique contributions of these factors are poorly understood. As such, we examined trauma and economic factors as predictors of pandemic-related psychological distress and symptoms. Methods: Ninety-six women recruited for a trauma research study (91.7% Black, Results: Childhood maltreatment and lifetime trauma exposure did not predict COVID-19-related distress; however, financial concern significantly contributed to concern for the physical health impact of COVID-19 ( Conclusions: Economic insecurity, namely self-reported financial concern, food insecurity, and housing instability, was related to COVID-19-related psychological distress in a sample of predominately Black American women living in under-resourced communities. Findings may help identify populations at risk for COVID-19-related psychological distress and symptoms and develop effective interventions, such as expanding access to nutritious food sources and housing support, for minoritized community members.