COVID-19 conversations: A qualitative study of majority Hispanic/Latinx youth experiences during early stages of the pandemic

• Published in: Child & youth care forum 2022-08, Vol.51 (4), p.769-793
• Main Authors: Cortés-García, L., Hernández Ortiz, J., Asim, N., Sales, M., Villareal, R., Penner, F., Sharp, C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescents; Adversity; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Boredom; Child and School Psychology; Collectivism; Coping; Coping strategies; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Cultural factors; Cultural Influences; Early Adolescents; Elementary School Students; Emotional Response; Emotional responses; Emotions; Ethnic groups; Familism; Focus Groups; Grade 5; Hispanic American Students; Hispanic Americans; Home Schooling; Implementation; Latin American cultural groups; Loneliness; Mental health; Middle School Students; Minority groups; Original Paper; Pandemics; Psychological distress; Psychological Patterns; Psychology; Qualitative research; Racism; Student Experience; Well being; Youth
• ISSN: 1053-1890; 1573-3319
• DOI: 10.1007/s10566-021-09653-x

Background Growing evidence informs about the detrimental impact that COVID-19 has had on youths’ mental health and well-being. As of yet, no study has directly examined the experiences and perspectives of children and young adolescents from racial and ethnic minority groups in the U.S., despite being exposed to more adversity, which may affect coping with the many challenges posed by the pandemic. Objective This study aimed to give voice to a mostly Hispanic/Latinx group of youth regarding the impact of COVID-19 stay-at-home measures and to identify their emotional responses and coping strategies amid the pandemic in the U.S. when restrictions were at their hardest. Method A total of 17 youths (70.6 % Hispanic; age range = 10–14 years; 52.9 % female) participated in four virtual semi-structured focus groups for each grade level (grades 5–8). Data was transcribed and analyzed using a gold standard thematic analysis approach. Results Seven themes were identified concerning the impact of COVID-19, centering around the impact of racism, loss of income, the role of community and family in coping with stress, information overload, home-schooling, loneliness and boredom, and lack of structured routines. Conclusions Our findings suggest that cultural factors (e.g., collectivism and familism) in Hispanic communities may offer important buffering during COVID-19. Future research studies evaluating the implementation of structured programs that provide a space to talk about emotions and thoughts related to the impact of the pandemic and training in strategies to cope with distress during mandatory home-schooling are needed.