Anxiety over virus higher in ethnic minority residents

FEELINGS of anxiety and isolation during the coronavirus pandemic are more common in Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) residents in Wales, according to health officials.

Every week Public Health Wales has been conducting interviews with hundreds of people aged 18 or over across Wales, to understand how the restrictions in place to prevent the spread of the virus are affecting the wellbeing of people.

After analysing data collected during a six-week period in April and May, Public Health Wales said people from BAME backgrounds reported higher rates of anxiety and feelings of isolation.

They said 33% of BAME respondents said they felt isolated compared with 22% of those not in the BAME group.

The data also suggested that more BAME people have increased practices such as mindfulness to address these feelings.

Amongst major concerns for BAME respondents were finances, with 22% worrying “a lot” about their financial situation and 17% about job loss and job availability.

Furthermore, 28% of BAME respondents said they were worrying “a lot” about their own mental health, a higher rate than those not in the BAME group (19%).

Professor Mark Bellis, director of policy and international health at Public Health Wales, said: “It’s extremely important for us to understand how coronavirus and the current restrictions to prevent its spread are affecting people, and particularly how it may be affecting people differently, depending on their ethnicity, age, gender or financial background.

“Concerns in different communities about risks of infection, continued isolation and impacts on job security are also key considerations as restrictions to control the spread of the virus are eased.

“Some individuals and communities can suffer both higher risks from infection and greater concerns about the impacts of continued restrictions on their livelihoods.

“The information provided from our surveys is intended to identify such groups and help ensure their needs are considered in the support provided during restrictions and when restrictions are eased.”