Coping during the COVID-19 pandemic: A mixed methods approach to understand how social factors influence coping ability
Kyle Chankasingh,
Amy Booth,
Arianne Albert,
Angela Kaida,
Laurie W. Smith,
C. Sarai Racey,
Anna Gottschlich,
Melanie C.M. Murray,
Manish Sadarangani,
Gina S. Ogilvie,
Liisa A.M. Galea,
Lori A. Brotto
Affiliations
Kyle Chankasingh
Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Amy Booth
Women's Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada; School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Arianne Albert
Women's Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Angela Kaida
Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Women's Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Laurie W. Smith
Women's Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada; School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
C. Sarai Racey
Women's Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada; School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Anna Gottschlich
Women's Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Melanie C.M. Murray
Women's Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, UBC; Oak Tree Clinic, BC Women's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Manish Sadarangani
Vaccine Evaluation Center, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute; Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Gina S. Ogilvie
Women's Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada; School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Liisa A.M. Galea
Women's Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Psychology, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Lori A. Brotto
Women's Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Corresponding author.
The COVID-19 pandemic and public health protection measures aimed at mitigating the transmission of the virus have both resulted in tremendous physical and mental health impacts. The study at hand used a gender-based analysis and social determinants of health approach to investigate which communities had trouble coping during times of strict protection measures and symptoms and strategies employed during the COVID-19 pandemic.Participants were recruited from previously established cohorts as a part of the COVID-19 Rapid Evidence Study of a Provincial Population-Based Cohort for Gender and Sex (RESPPONSE) study. Being a young adult, female, woman, gender diverse, low-income earner or LGBTQ/2S+ was significantly associated with not being able to cope during the first wave of the pandemic. The effects for females, women, and gender diverse were attenuated yet still significant when controlling for various covariates. Those who reported not coping were more likely to present maladaptive coping symptoms and strategies. Our findings demonstrate the need to support marginalized communities in coping with the current ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and build proactive support for future pandemics.
