DIGEST - Volume 11, Issue 2

16 TPC Digest 17 TPC Digest | TPC Digest Stacey Diane Arañez Litam, Seungbin Oh, Catherine Chang Resilience and Coping as Moderators of Stress-Related Growth in Asians and AAPIs During COVID-19 A s ians and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) represent vulnerable ethnic groups that have experienced increased rates of anti-Asian discrimination, harassment, and violence following the COVID-19 pandemic. This increase in COVID-19–related racism has harmful effects on the mental health, coping responses, and wellness of Asian and AAPI individuals. Asian and AAPI individuals who face racism experience higher levels of psychological distress, mental health concerns, and lower levels of self-esteem, social connectedness, and wellness. Stressful life events, such as experiences of racism, can lead to positive psychological changes, including stress-related growth. Ethnic identity, resilience, and coping responses may impact the relationship between racism and stress-related growth. In this study, researchers examined the extent to which coping, resilience, experiences of subtle and blatant racism, and ethnic identity predicted stress-related growth in a sample of Asians and AAPIs. It is important to note that the Asian and AAPI community is diverse and that there are distinct cultural differences among the various ethnic subgroups, but for the purposes of this study, the researchers aggregated these distinct populations to add to the scant literature on the effects of COVID-19 on the Asian and AAPI community. The study was also designed to promote collective understanding of how the Asian and AAPI community has been affected by COVID-19–related racism. Participants in this study who reported using mental health services reported higher levels of racial discrimination, resilience, coping, and stress-related growth compared to those who did not seek out mental health services. Additionally, higher levels of ethnic identity, resilience, and coping responses predicted stress-related growth in this sample. The coping strategies of self-blame, religion, humor, venting, substance use, denial, and disengagement moderated the relationship between racial discrimination and stress-related growth following the COVID-19 pandemic. These specific coping strategies speak to the importance of culturally congruent coping in response to stressful life experiences. This study highlights the importance of ethnic identity, resilience, and coping strategies in promoting stress-related growth following COVID-19–related racism within the Asian and AAPI community. Mental health professionals are called to leverage their Asian and AAPI clients’ ethnic identity, resilience, and coping strategies to promote client well-being. Individuals with higher levels of ethnic identity experienced greater stress-related growth; therefore, professional counselors will want to encourage counseling interventions that support a sense of ethnic group belongingness and encourage their clients to explore their ethnic identity. Given the importance of coping strategies and resilience on stress-related growth, it would additionally behoove professional counselors to amplify their Asian and AAPI clients’ coping strategies while fostering resilience. The negative consequences of COVID-19–related racism and anti-Asian discrimination will continue to impact the mental health and wellness of Asian and AAPI individuals. Thus, mental health professionals are encouraged to support their Asian and AAPI clients in strengthening their ethnic identity, building resilience, and using culturally congruent coping responses to mitigate the effects of COVID-19–related racism and promote the development of stress-related growth. Stacey Diane Arañez Litam, PhD, NCC, CCMHC, LPCC-S, is an assistant professor at Cleveland State University. Seungbin Oh, PhD, NCC, LPC, is an assistant professor at Merrimack College. Catherine Chang, PhD, NCC, LPC, CPCS, is a professor at Georgia State University. Correspondence may be addressed to Stacey Litam, 2121 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44115, s.litam@csuohio.edu. Read full article and references: Litam, S. D. A., Oh, S., & Chang, C. (2021). Resilience and coping as moderators of stress-related growth in Asians and AAPIs during COVID-19. The Professional Counselor , 11 (2), 248–266. doi: 10.15241/sdal.11.2.248 | TPC Digest