Mental health inequalities increase as a function of COVID-19 pandemic severity levels

Maffly-Kipp, Joseph; Eisenbeck, Nikolett; Carreno, David F.; Hicks, Joshua

RATIONALE: Current evidence suggests that mental health across the globe has suffered significantly during the COVID-19 global pandemic, and that disadvantaged communities are suffering these impacts more acutely. Lower income, female gender, and younger age have all been associated with worse psychopathology during COVID-19. OBJECTIVE AND METHODS: The goal of this study was to determine whether these disparities are more pronounced in places where the pandemic is more severe. We analyzed self-report data and objective metrics from a large global sample (N = 11,227) in order to test the hypothesis that country-level severity of COVID-19 moderates the relationship between the target demographic variables (Subjective SES, gender and age) and psychopathology indicators. RESULTS: Severity of the pandemic emerged as a significant moderator of the relationship between these demographic variables and mental health outcomes. This pattern was extremely consistent for Subjective SES and gender, but slightly more nuanced for age. CONCLUSION: Overall, we interpreted our data as suggesting that mental health disparities are greater in countries with more severe COVID-19 outbreaks. These findings are critical for understanding the ways that the ongoing pandemic is affecting global mental health, and contribute to the broader literature surrounding collective trauma.