Review: Women's Mental Health in the Time of Covid-19 Pandemic
Women's Mental Health in the Time of Covid-19 Pandemic
Florence Thibaut
Patricia J. M. van Wijngaarden-Cremershttps://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgwh.2020.588372/full?fbclid=IwAR1-RPFopzVzbRtnVqoIbHJbiTxUo_e_eSqFx5QYSmgN46Un0NTo9ZgszCU
Source:
all papers available in PubMed between January and July 2020 & data from non-governmental associations
Analysis:
We have thus successively analyzed the situation of pregnancy during the pandemic; the specific psychological and psychiatric risks faced by women both as patients and as workers in the health sector, the increased risk of violence against women at home and at workplace and, finally the risk run by children within their families.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, research on the subject of mental health issues during the Covid-19 pandemic is still scarce, especially in women
Even if the fatality rate has been twice higher for men than for women, the Covid-19 pandemic has affected women more than men, both as frontline workers and at home. The aim of our article was to analyze the differences observed in mental health and violence between men and women in the COVID outbreak. For this purpose, we have used all papers available in PubMed between January and July 2020 as well as data from non-governmental associations. We have thus successively analyzed the situation of pregnancy during the pandemic; the specific psychological and psychiatric risks faced by women both as patients and as workers in the health sector, the increased risk of violence against women at home and at workplace and, finally the risk run by children within their families. In conclusion, research on the subject of mental health issues during the Covid-19 pandemic is still scarce, especially in women. We hope that this pandemic will help to recognize the major role of women at home and at the workplace.
Health Care Workers (Especially Women) Were at Higher Risk of Mental Health Symptoms
Psychological Risk
The pandemic can be particularly distressing during specific situations such as pregnancy. In a Canadian study, two cohorts of pregnant volunteer women were compared (21). The first one was recruited before the COVID-19 pandemic (n = 496); the second one (n = 1,258) online during the pandemic in April 2020. This study was only focused on distress and psychiatric symptoms. Women from the COVID-19 cohort as compared with pre-COVID-19 women showed higher levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms (OR = 1.94). Moreover, in the COVID-19 cohort, women with previous psychiatric diagnosis or low income were at higher risk to report elevated distress and psychiatric symptoms.
[Berthelot N, Lemieux R, Garon-Bissonnette J, Drouin-Maziade C, Martel E, and Maziade M. Uptrend in distress and psychiatric symptomatology in pregnant women during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. (2020) 99:848–55. doi: 10.1111/aogs.13925]
Health Care Workers (Especially Women) Were at Higher Risk of Mental Health Symptoms
Furthermore, the conflict professionalism as well as personal fear for one's health contributed to burnouts as well as physical and mental symptoms in health workers (30)
Conclusion
Research focused on the subject of mental health issues during the COVID-19 pandemic is still scarce, especially in women. Yet, Covid-19 pandemic has affected women much more profoundly than men, both as frontline workers and at home. Financial crisis is gradually developing and as a consequence mental health issues are likely to grow exponentially. According to the United Nations (3), women aged 24 to 34 are already 25% more likely than men to face extreme poverty.
Nevertheless, we should consider this pandemic as an opportunity to build better, stronger, more resilient societies that could bring relief as well as hope to all women on earth. For example, during the First World War and the concomitant flu pandemic, for the first time in the history of the United States, black nurses had the opportunity to serve the US army. In fact, this drama has been turned into an opportunity to improve gender equality (59). We hope that this pandemic will also help to recognize the major role of women at home and at the workplace. To achieve this goal, the UN recommended allocating additional resources to protect women, putting women at the center of policy changes and collecting more sex-disaggregated data to analyze the impact of pandemics on women (60). Moreover, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) proposed by the UN offer a unique opportunity to achieve gender equality (Goal number 5), which is a key element of all SDGs and simultaneously improve health and well-being for all before 2030 (61).
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