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Purpose: Socio-demographic inequities in mental health were magnified by COVID-19, with women experiencing greater household burden with less support in Canada and globally. While some health patterns during COVID-19 have been observed globally, there is a research gap in rural mental health during COVID-19 in Canada. We hypothesize there is a disparity in mental health decline during COVID-19 between men and women. Methods: In rural Ontario, mental health was measured through a survey of approximately 18,000 individuals living in seven counties. In 2021, survey respondents were asked to rate their mental health prior to and during COVID-19. Women reported poorer mental health during COVID-19 in comparison to men when tested via chi-squared tests, odds ratios, and percentage change. Responses to survey questions regarding social, financial, and mental health support were then evaluated. Findings: We found significant disparities in mental health ratings before and during COVID-19 between men and women. Women reported poorer mental health, increased substance use, and increased worry about social, financial, and community stressors. Respondents who self-identified as a woman were associated with poorer mental health outcomes. Conclusions: Interventions should be specific to geographic communities as well as individual needs (e.g., additional financial and childcare support). Rural communities need to be considered as independent geographies rather than as one geography (i.e., urban vs. rural).
Details
Anxiety;
Careers;
Domestic violence;
Child care;
Intervention;
Polls & surveys;
Families & family life;
Geography;
Community;
Shopping;
COVID-19;
Shelter in place;
Women;
Inequality;
Substance abuse;
Men;
Pandemics;
Gender equity;
Drug use;
Stress;
Alcohol;
Rural areas;
Urban areas;
Mental health;
Rural communities;
Qualitative research;
Households;
Rural urban differences;
Health disparities;
Health status;
Mental health services;
Respondents;
Worry;
Question answer sequences;
Sociodemographics
; Adams, Matthew 3
; Deacon Leith 4
1 Department of Geography and Planning, University of Toronto, Room 5047, Sydney Smith Hall, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3G3, Canada; [email protected]
2 Division of Epidemiology, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 6th Floor, Health Sciences Building, 155 College Street, Toronto, ON M5T 3M7, Canada; [email protected]
3 Department of Geography and Planning, University of Toronto, Room 5047, Sydney Smith Hall, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3G3, Canada; [email protected], Department of Geography, Geomatics, and Environment, University of Toronto Mississauga, DV3261, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
4 Department of Rural Planning and Development, School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, Guelph University, Room 122, Landscape Architecture, 124 Reynolds Walk, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; [email protected]