Social Inequalities in Mental Health and Self-Perceived Health in the First Wave of COVID-19 Lockdown in Latin America and Spain: Results of an Online Observational Study

Carmen Salas Quijada, Natalia López-Contreras, Tomás López-Jiménez, Laura Medina-Perucha, Brenda Biaani León-Gómez, Andrés Peralta, Karen M. Arteaga-Contreras, Anna Berenguera, Alessandra Queiroga Gonçalves, Olivia Janett Horna-Campos, Marinella Mazzei, Maria Sol Anigstein, Jakeline Ribeiro Barbosa, Olga Bardales-Mendoza, Joan Benach, Daiane Borges Machado, Ana Lucía Torres Castillo and Constanza Jacques-Aviñó ()
Additional contact information
Carmen Salas Quijada: Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia 5110566, Chile
Natalia López-Contreras: Vicerrectoría de Investigación y Postgrado, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811230, Chile
Tomás López-Jiménez: Fundació Institut Universitari per a la Recerca a l’Atenció Primària de Salut Jordi Gol i Gurina (IDIAPJGol), 08007 Barcelona, Spain
Laura Medina-Perucha: Fundació Institut Universitari per a la Recerca a l’Atenció Primària de Salut Jordi Gol i Gurina (IDIAPJGol), 08007 Barcelona, Spain
Brenda Biaani León-Gómez: Unitat de Suport a la Recerca Metropolitana Nord, Fundació Institut Universitari per a la Recerca a l’Atenció Primària de Salut Jordi Gol i Gurina (IDIAPJGol), 08303 Mataró, Spain
Andrés Peralta: Public Health Institute, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (PUCE), Quito 170525, Ecuador
Karen M. Arteaga-Contreras: Servicios de Atención Psiquiátrica, Anillo Periférico #2767, Ed.5 P.B., Alcaldía La Magdalena Contreras, Cuidad de México 10200, Mexico
Anna Berenguera: Fundació Institut Universitari per a la Recerca a l’Atenció Primària de Salut Jordi Gol i Gurina (IDIAPJGol), 08007 Barcelona, Spain
Alessandra Queiroga Gonçalves: Network for Research on Chronicity, Primary Care, and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Spain
Olivia Janett Horna-Campos: Escuela de Salud Pública “Salvador Allende”, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8380000, Chile
Marinella Mazzei: Escuela de Salud Pública “Salvador Allende”, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8380000, Chile
Maria Sol Anigstein: Escuela de Salud Pública “Salvador Allende”, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8380000, Chile
Jakeline Ribeiro Barbosa: Center for Epidemiology and Health Surveillance, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brasília 70904-130, Brazil
Olga Bardales-Mendoza: Facultad de Educación, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima 15102, Peru
Joan Benach: Research Group on Health Inequalities, Environment, and Employment Conditions (GREDS-EMCONET), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08002 Barcelona, Spain
Daiane Borges Machado: Center of Data and Knowledge Integration for Health, Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Salvador 41745-715, Brazil
Ana Lucía Torres Castillo: Public Health Institute, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (PUCE), Quito 170525, Ecuador
Constanza Jacques-Aviñó: Fundació Institut Universitari per a la Recerca a l’Atenció Primària de Salut Jordi Gol i Gurina (IDIAPJGol), 08007 Barcelona, Spain

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 9, 1-23

Abstract: COVID-19 lockdowns greatly affected the mental health of populations and collectives. This study compares the mental health and self-perceived health in five countries of Latin America and Spain, during the first wave of COVID 19 lockdown, according to social axes of inequality. This was a cross-sectional study using an online, self-managed survey in Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and Spain. Self-perceived health (SPH), anxiety (measured through GAD-7) and depression (measured through PHQ-9) were measured along with lockdown, COVID-19, and social variables. The prevalence of poor SPH, anxiety, and depression was calculated. The analyses were stratified by gender (men = M; women = W) and country. The data from 39,006 people were analyzed (W = 71.9%). There was a higher prevalence of poor SPH and bad mental health in women in all countries studied. Peru had the worst SPH results, while Chile and Ecuador had the worst mental health indicators. Spain had the lowest prevalence of poor SPH and mental health. The prevalence of anxiety and depression decreased as age increased. Unemployment, poor working conditions, inadequate housing, and the highest unpaid workload were associated with worse mental health and poor SPH, especially in women. In future policies, worldwide public measures should consider the great social inequalities in health present between and within countries in order to tackle health emergencies while reducing the health breach between populations.

Keywords: COVID-19; social impact; lockdown; mental health; inequities; self-perceived health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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