Women’s mental health disproportionately affected by pandemic, major study finds

Young people and women, who are already at greater risk of mental health problems, have seen significantly greater deteriorations during the pandemic, Maya Oppenheim writes

Women aged between 16 and 24 found to be 11 per cent worse than before the crisis (iStock)

Coronavirus chaos has worsened existing gender inequalities in mental health with women’s wellbeing disproportionately affected by the pandemic, a new report has found.

A major study by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) found young women are faring worst while older males are the least impacted – with the overall mental health of women aged between 16 and 24 found to be 11 per cent worse than before the public health crisis.

The report, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, revealed the overall population’s mental health was suffering as a result of the Covid-19 emergency – with an additional 7.2 million experiencing a mental health problem “much more than usual”.

Xiaowei Xu, one of the report’s authors and a senior research economist at the IFS, said: “The effects of Covid-19 and the associated lockdown on mental health have been very big indeed.

“Young people and women, already at more risk of mental health problems, have experienced particularly big impacts on their mental health. These impacts need to be weighed alongside economic and other health effects of policies as we move out of lockdown. It will be important to monitor changes in mental health and to make sure that appropriate support is given to those who are struggling.”

Researchers said women and young people already had “relatively low levels” of mental health before the coronavirus emergency.

The report argues the extent of the decline in mental health during the pandemic is of a “magnitude unlike anything” society has witnessed in recent years.

Researchers used data which includes responses from almost 12,000 people who have answered questions about their mental health annually over several years, who were then asked the same questions again this April during lockdown.

The study found the proportion of those experiencing at least one mental health issue ”much more than usual” has more than doubled from one in ten to almost a quarter of people, while over a third of young women reported this.

Sam Smethers, chief executive of gender equality charity Fawcett Society, told The Independent: “We already know that women are bearing the emotional brunt of the lockdown and mothers of young children, Bame women and female frontline workers have some of the highest anxiety levels.

“But this new data should sound alarm bells at the top of government that women, and in particular young women are experiencing a huge adverse impact on their mental health.

“Improving the pay and job security for the lowest paid, sick pay for all workers and increasing child benefit would at least help to address some of the causes. Government must take a gendered approach and must start prioritising women.”

A poll carried out by the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) at the end of March found that while some 46 per cent of female workers say money concerns prompted by the economic chaos has had a direct impact on their mental health, only 37 per cent of men said the same.

The disparity may be tied to the fact women are dramatically overpopulated in the care sector – with recent NHS figures showing more than 80 per cent of adult social services jobs in 2019 were carried out by female workers, and government figures showing women make up the majority of informal carers in the UK.

Prior to the coronavirus catastrophe, across the world, women were more likely to be diagnosed with depression and to attempt suicide, yet the overall suicide rate for men is considerably higher than for women. But women remain more likely than men to attempt suicide. Adult women in the US reported a suicide attempt 1.2 times as often as men.

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