scholarly journals Facing the 'New Normal': How Adjusting to the Easing of COVID-19 Lockdown Restrictions Exposes Mental Health Inequalities

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naomi A. Fineberg ◽  
Luca Pellegrini ◽  
David Wellsted ◽  
Natalie Hall ◽  
Ornella Corazza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Inequalities ◽  
New Normal

scholarly journals Facing the “new normal”: How adjusting to the easing of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions exposes mental health inequalities

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naomi A. Fineberg ◽  
Luca Pellegrini ◽  
David Wellsted ◽  
Natalie Hall ◽  
Ornella Corazza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Inequalities ◽  
New Normal

scholarly journals Income-related health inequality among Chinese adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence based on an online survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng Nie ◽  
Lanlin Ding ◽  
Zhuo Chen ◽  
Shiyong Liu ◽  
Qi Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Family Member ◽  
Health Inequalities ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Decomposition Analysis ◽  
National Sample ◽  
Vulnerable Groups

AbstractBackgroundPartial- or full-lockdowns, among other interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic, may disproportionally affect people (their behaviors and health outcomes) with lower socioeconomic status (SES). This study examines income-related health inequalities and their main contributors in China during the pandemic.MethodsThe 2020 China COVID-19 Survey is an anonymous 74-item survey administered via social media in China. A national sample of 10,545 adults in all 31 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions in mainland China provided comprehensive data on sociodemographic characteristics, awareness and attitudes towards COVID-19, lifestyle factors, and health outcomes during the lockdown. Of them, 8448 subjects provided data for this analysis. Concentration Index (CI) and Corrected CI (CCI) were used to measure income-related inequalities in mental health and self-reported health (SRH), respectively. Wagstaff-type decomposition analysis was used to identify contributors to health inequalities.ResultsMost participants reported their health status as “very good” (39.0%) or “excellent” (42.3%). CCI of SRH and mental health were − 0.09 (p < 0.01) and 0.04 (p < 0.01), respectively, indicating pro-poor inequality in ill SRH and pro-rich inequality in ill mental health. Income was the leading contributor to inequalities in SRH and mental health, accounting for 62.7% (p < 0.01) and 39.0% (p < 0.05) of income-related inequalities, respectively. The COVID-19 related variables, including self-reported family-member COVID-19 infection, job loss, experiences of food and medication shortage, engagement in physical activity, and five different-level pandemic regions of residence, explained substantial inequalities in ill SRH and ill mental health, accounting for 29.7% (p < 0.01) and 20.6% (p < 0.01), respectively. Self-reported family member COVID-19 infection, experiencing food and medication shortage, and engagement in physical activity explain 9.4% (p < 0.01), 2.6% (the summed contributions of experiencing food shortage (0.9%) and medication shortage (1.7%),p < 0.01), and 17.6% (p < 0.01) inequality in SRH, respectively (8.9% (p < 0.01), 24.1% (p < 0.01), and 15.1% (p < 0.01) for mental health).ConclusionsPer capita household income last year, experiences of food and medication shortage, self-reported family member COVID-19 infection, and physical activity are important contributors to health inequalities, especially mental health in China during the COVID-19 pandemic. Intervention programs should be implemented to support vulnerable groups.

scholarly journals Health Inequalities in Children and Adolescents: A Scoping Review of the Mediating and Moderating Effects of Family Characteristics

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (15) ◽  
pp. 7739
Author(s):  
Miriam Blume ◽  
Petra Rattay ◽  
Stephanie Hoffmann ◽  
Jacob Spallek ◽  
Lydia Sander ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Health Inequalities ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
The United States ◽  
Family Characteristics ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Moderating Effects ◽  
Scoping Reviews

This scoping review systematically mapped evidence of the mediating and moderating effects of family characteristics on health inequalities in school-aged children and adolescents (6–18 years) in countries with developed economies in Europe and North America. We conducted a systematic scoping review following the PRISMA extension for Scoping Reviews recommendations. We searched the PubMed, PsycINFO and Scopus databases. Two reviewers independently screened titles, abstracts and full texts. Evidence was synthesized narratively. Of the 12,403 records initially identified, 50 articles were included in the synthesis. The included studies were conducted in the United States (n = 27), Europe (n = 18), Canada (n = 3), or in multiple countries combined (n = 2). We found that mental health was the most frequently assessed health outcome. The included studies reported that different family characteristics mediated or moderated health inequalities. Parental mental health, parenting practices, and parent-child-relationships were most frequently examined, and were found to be important mediating or moderating factors. In addition, family conflict and distress were relevant family characteristics. Future research should integrate additional health outcomes besides mental health, and attempt to integrate the complexity of families. The family characteristics identified in this review represent potential starting points for reducing health inequalities in childhood and adolescence.

Pre-pandemic mental health and disruptions to healthcare, economic and housing outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from 12 UK longitudinal studies

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Giorgio Di Gessa ◽  
Jane Maddock ◽  
Michael J. Green ◽  
Ellen J. Thompson ◽  
Eoin McElroy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Longitudinal Studies ◽  
Health Inequalities ◽  
Economic Activity ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Household Composition ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Medication Access

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted lives and livelihoods, and people already experiencing mental ill health may have been especially vulnerable. Aims Quantify mental health inequalities in disruptions to healthcare, economic activity and housing. Method We examined data from 59 482 participants in 12 UK longitudinal studies with data collected before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Within each study, we estimated the association between psychological distress assessed pre-pandemic and disruptions since the start of the pandemic to healthcare (medication access, procedures or appointments), economic activity (employment, income or working hours) and housing (change of address or household composition). Estimates were pooled across studies. Results Across the analysed data-sets, 28% to 77% of participants experienced at least one disruption, with 2.3–33.2% experiencing disruptions in two or more domains. We found 1 s.d. higher pre-pandemic psychological distress was associated with (a) increased odds of any healthcare disruptions (odds ratio (OR) 1.30, 95% CI 1.20–1.40), with fully adjusted odds ratios ranging from 1.24 (95% CI 1.09–1.41) for disruption to procedures to 1.33 (95% CI 1.20–1.49) for disruptions to prescriptions or medication access; (b) loss of employment (odds ratio 1.13, 95% CI 1.06–1.21) and income (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.06 –1.19), and reductions in working hours/furlough (odds ratio 1.05, 95% CI 1.00–1.09) and (c) increased likelihood of experiencing a disruption in at least two domains (OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.18–1.32) or in one domain (OR 1.11, 95% CI 1.07–1.16), relative to no disruption. There were no associations with housing disruptions (OR 1.00, 95% CI 0.97–1.03). Conclusions People experiencing psychological distress pre-pandemic were more likely to experience healthcare and economic disruptions, and clusters of disruptions across multiple domains during the pandemic. Failing to address these disruptions risks further widening mental health inequalities.

Trends in mental health inequalities in urban Canada

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharalynn Missiuna ◽  
Charles Plante ◽  
Punam Pahwa ◽  
Nazeem Muhajarine ◽  
Cordell Neudorf
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Inequalities

Editor’s Note: Another Tough Year Comes to an End

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 7-12
Author(s):  
Tom Ondicho
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
International Travel ◽  
Disruptive Effect ◽  
New Normal ◽  
Mortality And Morbidity ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
The World ◽  
The Future ◽  
Internal Mobility

As the end of the year 2021 draws near, it is time to reflect and take stock as well as look into the future. This year like 2020 was equally tough as the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to wreak havoc in the world. The mortality and morbidity rates remain high despite the development of a vaccine and many people being vaccinated. New variants of the virus emerged in 2021 leading to renewed restrictions on businesses and internal mobility as well as international travel to some parts of the world. No doubt, the pandemic has had a cascading disruptive effect on all facets of life and continues to impact on people’s mental health, and academic being a stressful career than others, scholars need to do what they can to take care of their mental health and wellbeing during this period. This can involve simple steps such as taking a few days off to relax or to connect with family and friends. I hope you have started planning and hopefully, we have learned some lessons from 2020 and 2021 and will be better prepared and equipped to adjust to whatever the ‘New Normal’ has in store for us in 2022.

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