Inequality and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic
Citation: Gibson B, Schneider J, Talamonti D, et al. The impact of inequality on mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie canadienne. 2021;62(1):101-126.
Language: Abstract and full-text available in EN.
Free to view: No.
Funding sources: Nothing noted.
What is this? Pandemics and emergencies have a greater impact on socially disadvantaged groups. In this systematic review, the authors searched for studies on the impact of inequalities on mental health during COVID-19. They searched in July 2020 for articles published in English, French, Spanish, or Italian. The authors included 117 studies (300,061 participants). This systematic review was registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42020200216.
What was found: Factors associated with adverse mental health outcomes included low income, female sex, younger age, lack of access to clear information about the pandemic, proximity to large infection sites, physical or psychological co-morbidity, and stigmatisation as a member of a marginalised ethnic or sexual group. Healthcare workers were at higher risk for poor mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Implications: To improve mental health outcomes in the COVID-19 pandemic, the authors of the review recommended acknowledgment of inequalities and support for affected groups.
Other considerations: The authors of the review discussed their findings in the context of place of residence, gender, personal characteristics, and race, ethnicity, and culture.
This summary was prepared by Golo Henning, checked by Sydney Johnson, and finalized by William Summerskill.