is the uk media accurately representing the mental health impact of covid-19 on communities of colour? (media diversity institute)
Excerpts
‘What does this advice look like for BAME communities, who make up a staggeringly large proportion of patients hospitalised with COVID-19—largely due to the socioeconomic inequalities that make them more likely to be exposed to the pandemic in the first place? BAME communities are far less likely to have access to the green spaces that many of these articles espouse as “key” to mental health and well being. What is more, BAME communities are far more likely to be working in unstable, precarious jobs than their white counterparts, making it more difficult to shelter in place, or self-isolate when they are pressured to keep working amidst the pandemic.’
‘The number of BAME workers on the front-lines is also a key factor contributing to the greater rate of infection, hospitalisation and death in these communities. While many UK media outlets have reported the alarming statistics, such as the fact that Black people are four times more likely to die of the virus than white people, few have examined the inevitable mental health strain that this has on these communities.’