COVID-19 in Rural Ontario Communities: Exploring Women’s Mental Health During a Pandemic

Amanda Norton (), Laura Rosella, Matthew Adams and Leith Deacon
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Amanda Norton: Department of Geography and Planning, University of Toronto, Room 5047, Sydney Smith Hall, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3G3, Canada
Laura Rosella: 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
Matthew Adams: Department of Geography and Planning, University of Toronto, Room 5047, Sydney Smith Hall, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3G3, Canada
Leith Deacon: 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

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 6, 1-27

Abstract: 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).

Keywords: mental health; access to care; geography; health disparities (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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