Inequality on the frontline: A multi-country study on gender differences in mental health among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Journal: Global mental health (Cambridge, England)
Volume: 11
Issue:
Year of Publication:
Affiliated Institutions:
Parnassia Psychiatric Institute, Parnassia Groep, The Hague, The Netherlands.
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA.
Department of Psychiatry, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Population Health Research Section, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Valparaíso, Valparaiso, Chile.
Department of Psychiatric Nursing, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Department of Psychiatry, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Question Driven Design and Analysis Group, New York, NY, USA.
University Hospital, Federal University of Rio Grande, Rio Grande, Brazil.
Institute for Development, Research, Advocacy and Applied Care (IDRAAC), Beirut, Lebanon.
Unidad de Investigación, Consultora Salud Global Bolivia, Sucre, Bolivia.
Clinical, Neuro- and Developmental Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Institute of Health Sciences, Universidad de O'Higgins, Rancagua, Chile.
Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
National Institute of Psychiatry Ramon de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico City, Mexico.
Department of Psychology, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Psychology and Mental Health, La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain.
Social and Community Academic Unit, University of Chubut, Chubut, Argentina.
National Institute of Health Named After Academician S. Avdalbekyan, Yerevan, Armenia.
Department Psychiatry A, Razi Hospital La Manouba, Manouba, Tunisia.
Faculty of Health and Social Work, University of Applied Sciences Emden/Leer, Emden, Germany.
Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
Department of Psychiatry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Department of Mental Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Departments of Health Policy & Management and Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of San Carlos of Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala.
School of Public Health, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.
School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce, Puerto Rico.
Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Pontifical Xavierian University, Bogotá, Colombia.
Department of Public Health and Family Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Emergency Department, Motol University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic.
Dirección de Investigación Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca, Sucre, Bolivia.
School of Medicine and Psychiatric Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Abstract summary
Healthcare workers (HCWs) were at increased risk for mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic, with prior data suggesting women may be particularly vulnerable. Our global mental health study aimed to examine factors associated with gender differences in psychological distress and depressive symptoms among HCWs during COVID-19. Across 22 countries in South America, Europe, Asia and Africa, 32,410 HCWs participated in the COVID-19 HEalth caRe wOrkErS (HEROES) study between March 2020 and February 2021. They completed the General Health Questionnaire-12, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and questions about pandemic-relevant exposures. Consistently across countries, women reported elevated mental health problems compared to men. Women also reported increased COVID-19-relevant stressors, including insufficient personal protective equipment and less support from colleagues, while men reported increased contact with COVID-19 patients. At the country level, HCWs in countries with higher gender inequality reported less mental health problems. Higher COVID-19 mortality rates were associated with increased psychological distress merely among women. Our findings suggest that among HCWs, women may have been disproportionately exposed to COVID-19-relevant stressors at the individual and country level. This highlights the importance of considering gender in emergency response efforts to safeguard women's well-being and ensure healthcare system preparedness during future public health crises.
Authors & Co-authors:
Czepiel Diana D
McCormack Clare C
da Silva Andréa T C ATC
Seblova Dominika D
Moro Maria F MF
Restrepo-Henao Alexandra A
Martínez Adriana M AM
Afolabi Oyeyemi O
Alnasser Lubna L
Alvarado Rubén R
Asaoka Hiroki H
Ayinde Olatunde O
Balalian Arin A
Ballester Dinarte D
Barathie Josleen A L JAL
Basagoitia Armando A
Basic Djordje D
Burrone María S MS
Carta Mauro G MG
Durand-Arias Sol S
Eskin Mehmet M
Fernández-Jiménez Eduardo E
Frey Marcela I F MIF
Gureje Oye O
Isahakyan Anna A
Jaldo Rodrigo R
Karam Elie G EG
Khattech Dorra D
Lindert Jutta J
Martínez-Alés Gonzalo G
Mascayano Franco F
Mediavilla Roberto R
Narvaez Gonzalez Javier A JA
Nasser-Karam Aimee A
Nishi Daisuke D
Olaopa Olusegun O
Ouali Uta U
Puac-Polanco Victor V
Ramírez Dorian E DE
Ramírez Jorge J
Rivera-Segarra Eliut E
Rutten Bart P F BPF
Santaella-Tenorio Julian J
Sapag Jaime C JC
Šeblová Jana J
Soto María T S MTS
Tavares-Cavalcanti Maria M
Valeri Linda L
Sijbrandij Marit M
Susser Ezra S ES
Hoek Hans W HW
van der Ven Els E
Study Outcome
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