BAME young people's experiences of COVID-19

Understanding young people’s perspectives of the COVID-19 outbreak: a qualitative investigation into lived experiences of BAME young people in London.

Project Summary 

In partnership with Wandsworth Community Empowerment Network (WCEN), this project will aim to understand the specific impacts of COVID-19 and related public health response and government advice on the wellbeing of young people aged 16-25, from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Backgrounds (BAME) in London.

Increasingly recognition has been paid to the overrepresentation of BAME groups in COVID-19 cases and casualties in the UK, as well as concern over the ability for adults from these backgrounds to adhere to government guidelines.

Recent survey data suggests that young people may be more affected emotionally by the lock down, but little attention has been given to understanding the specific experiences, impacts and needs of young people from these backgrounds, who are known to face particular vulnerabilities.

This study uses qualitative methods in a series of online focus groups, as well as wellbeing measures (food frequency questionnaires; Wellbeing questionnaires) to explore the experiences of 40 young people living in South-West London during the COVID-19 outbreak.