The gender dimensions of mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic: A path analysis.

BACKGROUND: The Covid-19 pandemic has had a substantial population mental health impact, with evidence indicating that mental health has deteriorated in particular for women. This gender difference could be explained by the distinct experiences of women during the pandemic, including the burden of unpaid domestic labour, changes in economic activity, and experiences of loneliness. This study investigates potential mediators in the relationship between gender and mental health during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK. METHODS: We used data from 9,351 participants of Understanding Society, a longitudinal household survey from the UK. We conducted a mediation analysis using structural equation modelling to estimate the role of four mediators, measured during the first lockdown in April 2020, in the relationship between gender and mental health in May and July 2020. Mental health was measured with the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Standardized coefficients for each path were obtained, as well as indirect effects for the role of employment disruption, hours spent on housework, hours spent on childcare, and loneliness. RESULTS: In a model controlling for age, household income and pre-pandemic mental health, we found that gender was associated with all four mediators, but only loneliness was associated with mental health at both time points. The indirect effects showed strong evidence of partial mediation through loneliness for the relationship between gender and mental health problems; loneliness accounted for 83.9% of the total effect in May, and 76.1% in July. No evidence of mediation was found for housework, childcare, or employment disruption. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the worse mental health found among women during the initial period of the Covid-19 pandemic is partly explained by women reporting more experiences of loneliness. Understanding this mechanism is important for prioritising interventions to address gender-based inequities that have been exacerbated by the pandemic.

A Qualitative Study Exploring Access to Mental Health and Substance Use Support among Individuals Experiencing Homelessness during COVID-19.

People experiencing homelessness have higher rates of mental ill-health and substance use and lower access to health services compared to the general population. The COVID-19 pandemic led to changes in service delivery across health and social care services, with many adopting virtual or telephone support for service users. This paper explores the experiences of access to community-based mental health and substance use support for people experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Qualitative telephone interviews were conducted with 10 women and 16 men (ages 25 to 71) who self-identified as experiencing homelessness in North East England between February and May 2021. With five individuals with lived experience, results were analysed using inductive reflexive thematic analysis. Reactive changes to support provision often led to inadvertent exclusion. Barriers to access included: physical locations, repetition of recovery stories, individual readiness, and limited availability. Participants suggested creating services reflective of need and opportunities for choice and empowerment. Community mental health and substance use support for people experiencing homelessness should ensure the support is personalised, responsive to need, inclusive, and trauma-informed. The findings of this research have important implications for mental health and substance use policy and practice for individuals who experience homelessness during a public health crisis.

“It's been up and down”—perspectives on living through COVID-19 for individuals who experience homelessness: a qualitative study

Background The UN describes the COVID-19 pandemic as the greatest public health crisis for the current generation. However, individuals who experienced austerity, adversity, and disadvantage prior to the pandemic have been disproportionately affected with every turn the pandemic has taken, from transmission risk to vaccination take-up. One such population is individuals who experience homelessness. As the UK begins to transition to a stage of post-pandemic recovery, it is imperative to understand the perceived impact COVID-19 has had on the day-to-day lives of individuals who experience homelessness, to ensure they are not left behind and recovery planning can be better targeted to their specific needs. Methods Between February and May, 2021, 26 individuals (10 women and 16 men) who self-identified as experiencing homelessness within the Newcastle Gateshead area took part in telephone interviews of 20–80 min in length. Participants provided written or verbal informed consent prior to participating. Recruitment took place through existing networks, housing providers, charities, word of mouth, and snowball sampling. Analysis was co-produced with five individuals with lived experience using interpretative phenomenological analysis. NVivo release 1·5 was used to organise quotes. Ethics approval was granted by the Faculty of Medical Sciences Research Ethics Committee, part of Newcastle University's Research Ethics Committee (ref 2034/6698/2020.) Findings Experiences shared depicted unique stories with commonalities across the findings through five main themes: (1) surreality of day-to-day life—searching for understanding and lost autonomy;(2) an emotional rollercoaster—confronting negative emotions;(3) loneliness is my best friend—learning from being alone;(4) adversity is the only consistency—recognising past and present hardship, violence, and loss;and (5) coping with uncertainty—using drugs, mindfulness, and technology to survive. Interpretation The pandemic has affected the daily lives of people who experience homelessness in a variety of ways, including personal growth, no change, and regression. This study is limited by its localised recruitment in Newcastle and Gateshead in the UK;however, this local focus and involvement of individuals with lived experience has strengthened the study's implications for policy and practice in the region. Initiatives or policies developed to support post-pandemic recovery should reflect the array of impacts, while giving special recognition to loneliness, adversity, and resiliency among individuals who experience homelessness. Funding National Institute for Health Research School for Public Health Research.

Effectiveness of community interventions for protecting and promoting the mental health of working-age adults experiencing financial uncertainty: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has created a period of global economic uncertainty. Financial strain, personal debt, recent job loss and housing insecurity are important risk factors for the mental health of working-age adults. Community interventions have the potential to attenuate the mental health impact of these stressors. We examined the effectiveness of community interventions for protecting and promoting the mental health of working-age adults in high-income countries during periods of financial insecurity. METHODS: Eight electronic databases were systematically screened for experimental and observational studies published since 2000 measuring the effectiveness of community interventions on mental health outcomes. We included any non-clinical intervention that aimed to address the financial, employment, food or housing insecurity of participants. A review protocol was registered on the PROSPERO database (CRD42019156364) and results are reported in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. RESULTS: From 2326 studies screened, 15 met our inclusion criteria. Five categories of community intervention were identified: advice services colocated in healthcare settings; link worker social prescribing; telephone debt advice; food insecurity interventions; and active labour market programmes. In general, the evidence for effective and cost-effective community interventions delivered to individuals experiencing financial insecurity was lacking. From the small number of studies without a high risk of bias, there was some evidence that financial insecurity and associated mental health problems were amenable to change and differences by subpopulations were observed. CONCLUSION: There is a need for well-controlled studies and trials to better understand effective ingredients and to identify those interventions warranting wider implementation.