The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health and stress of Navajo Nation members.

Abstract

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the Navajo Nation and has resulted in worse rates of infection, hospitalization, and deaths. Historical traumas have resulted in worse mental health rates prior to the pandemic. The psychological toll of the pandemic is large. it Is important to understand the factors that have impacted mental health and stress in Navajo communities. There has been very little previous research on the mental health impacts of COVID-19 on American Indian/Alaska Native communities. There has been no previous research describing the specific impacts for the Navajo Nation. There is a need for disaggregated data focusing on specific tribes, in order to address these problems with appropriate interventions and solutions. Method: This is a descriptive analysis utilizing data collected by the Yéego! Healthy Eating and Gardening Study. The parent study was a school-based intervention focused on healthy eating and gardening. Adults of students participating in the parent study were asked to complete a self-report survey. Along with questions about the Yéego! intervention, survey included questions on demographic characteristics and the COVID-19 pandemic in order to better understand its impacts on those enrolled in the study. Descriptive statistics were calculated for all variables. We estimated a one-way ANOVAs to assess whether resilience and perceived stress were associated with COVID-19 specific stressor and support variables. Results: About 97.3% of respondents had Navajo Tribal Affiliation. Most respondents indicated that their self-reported health was excellent, very good, or good (71%), and 14.8% stated that their mental health had gotten worse. Resilience scores were higher (>5) compared to stress scores which were lower (<5) for the factors examined. For resilience, differences in mean scores were in the expected direction, although none were significant. For stress, differences in mean stress score were also in the expected direction, however some were significant. Mean stress scores were higher among those with worse mental health and among those concerned about being able to work during the pandemic. Conclusion: This study provides new knowledge of how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the Diné people. Knowing the underlying factors that lead to higher stress levels and worse mental health are necessary. Solutions need to be developed that address the broader social inequities and results of historical trauma.