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

Tuesday 09 June 2020 21:17 BST
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Women aged between 16 and 24 found to be 11 per cent worse than before the crisis
Women aged between 16 and 24 found to be 11 per cent worse than before the crisis

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”.

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