Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Much attention has been given to stress-related symptoms including insomnia related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Exposure to racially targeted police violence and the disproportionate impact of COVID on their communities have been particularly salient stressors for African Americans. Aims for this presentation are to illuminate the emotional impact of COVID and racism on young adult African Americans and their relationship to sleep problems. METHODS: An online survey was sent to participants in an ongoing study focusing on sleep and health along with new participants recruited through a snowball method. The survey included the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Impact of Event scale (IES), as well as items to assess experiences with COVID, exposure to racially targeted violence, and disparate community impact. RESULTS: Respondents were African Americans age 18–35. 45% endorsed worsening sleep during the pandemic. 25% had ISI scores of probable insomnia and 61% had IES scores above the symptom threshold for clinical concern. Racism-related distress was endorsed at higher levels than worries related to COVID. There was a significant relationship of insomnia severity with the number of COVID related stressors and a trend level relationship with COVID worries. Sleep outcomes were not correlated with racism-related distress. CONCLUSION: While distress related to racism was endorsed more than COVID worries, our preliminary findings suggest COVID worries but not racism exposure negatively impact sleep health. This may be a consequence of habituation to the chronic stress of racism in contrast with the novel stress of COVID. SUPPORT (IF ANY): 5R01HL136626 from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute