NEW YORK, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Everyday discrimination experienced by racial and ethnic minority groups was associated with a 17-fold increased risk of moderate or severe depressive symptoms and 10-fold increased risk of suicidal ideation between May and July of 2020 in the United States, The Hill on Thursday cited new research of data collected in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"As individuals experienced more discrimination, their risks of poor mental health outcomes increased, while associations were greatest among individuals who self-identified as Hispanic/Latino or Asian," said the report based on the findings published in JAMA Psychiatry.

"Outcomes were also exacerbated when the main reason behind discrimination was related to race, ancestry or national origins," it noted.

Higher rates of unemployment, food and housing insecurity, lower access to health care, and racially motivated violence seen throughout the pandemic all likely contributed to added stress for racial minority groups who already routinely experience structural racism, according to the report.

A total of 62,651 individuals were included in the cohort study, making it the largest and most diverse study to date on mental health effects of discrimination experienced throughout the pandemic, it added. Enditem

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