Page 106 - IJPS-10-3

International Journal of
Population Studies Gender differences in mental health outcomes

which might not be perceptible during the crisis. Focused public health strategies are warranted to support and
protect the most vulnerable populations.

Keywords: Confinement; COVID-19; Domestic violence; Economic hardship; Gender differences; Mental health

1. Introduction violence and women abuse during this pandemic (Boserup
et al., 2020; Taub, 2020; The Guardian, 2020). In Lebanon,
Since the first positive case of coronavirus disease few studies have examined the prevalence of violence
(COVID-19) in Lebanon was reported on February 21, against women (Awwad et al., 2014; Rahme et al., 2020;
2020, the government and the Ministerial Committee for Usta et al., 2007). In large sample sizes, research identified
Coronavirus Prevention implemented a response plan to rates of up to 35% of overall domestic violence (in 2002)
contain the spread of the disease, resulting in a lockdown (Usta et al., 2007), 37.1% of physical violence, and 49.4% of
on March 15, 2020 (Ministry of Public Health and Ministry non-physical violence (in 2020) (Rahme et al., 2020).
of Information, 2020). These measures placed Lebanon
among the countries that were initially successful in Soon after the COVID-19 outbreak, Abaad, a not-
dealing with “immediate healthcare problems” related to for-profit organization, reported that home violence
COVID-19 (Diwan & Abi-Rached, 2020). However, some complaints had doubled over the first months of 2020
gender experts in Lebanon considered that the action plan compared to the year prior (reaching 500 versus 270 in
failed to account for the repercussions of the combined the same period of 2019) (Hivos, 2020). Several reasons
economic and sanitary crisis on the most vulnerable underlie this increase in violence, including confinement
populations, including women and abused people, who and movement restrictions, isolation, frustration,
may have been disproportionately affected (Chbaro, 2020). overcrowding, and psychological factors such as stress and
anxiety (Anurudran et al., 2020; Chandan et al., 2020; Neil,
Indeed, women and men may not experience in the same
way the negative consequences of prolonged confinement, 2020; van Gelder et al., 2020; the World Health Organization
[WHO], 2020). The WHO published a statement calling
fear of infection, frustration, boredom, inadequate supplies, for action to protect and support vulnerable persons
flawed information, financial loss, and stigma. In Lebanon, in overcoming such “hidden crises of the COVID-19
in particular, it is estimated that 58% of working women
are subject to informal, unregulated, or unprotected labor pandemic.” These recommendations should be further
laws, thus exposing them to both infection and poverty, reinforced in a country like Lebanon, where growing
with the looming threat of unemployment (Hivos, 2020). economic vulnerability is thought to increase the threat of
potential harm (Anurudran et al., 2020; WHO, 2020).
Moreover, the pandemic-related confinement of families at
home has led to an increased domestic chores workload on Recent studies have shown that the female gender was
women, which could drain them physically (United Nations significantly associated with a higher risk of developing
Women, 2020). Finally, since the closure of schools on coronavirus-related sleep disorders (Casagrande et al.,
February 28, 2020 (Reuters, 2020), women have had to 2020), distress (Casagrande et al., 2020), anxiety (Ozdin &
take responsibility for their children’s homeschooling Bayrak Ozdin, 2020), and post-traumatic stress symptoms
and ensure a state of tranquility, whether for children (PTSSs) (Liu et al., 2020). Interestingly, several studies
learning or men online working (United Nations Women, from Lebanon highlighted that mental symptoms are more
2020). As a result, women might not be able to engage and frequently reported among women and young adults (Bou-
deliver their formal jobs, which may limit their economic Hamad et al., 2021; Salameh et al., 2020) and that the fear
opportunities (Wenham et al., 2020). of COVID-19 and financial hardships were significantly
Domestic violence is another major issue that may have associated with higher distress and anxiety (Salameh et al.,
severe downstream mental and physical health outcomes on 2020). Based on these observations, one could stipulate
women, especially when they are forced into confinement that the added effect of the economic and pandemic crises
with a potentially violent partner (Anurudran et al., 2020; impacted genders differently.
Bradbury-Jones & Isham, 2020; Chandan et al., 2020; Neil, To the best of our knowledge, no previous studies have
2020; van Gelder et al., 2020). Studies have shown that yet evaluated the relationship between gender, domestic
reported domestic violence often substantially increases violence, economic hardship, and sociodemographic-
after a catastrophic event (Parkinson, 2017). Furthermore, adjusted health outcomes, that is, sleep, anxiety, distress,
several reports shed light on a global increase in domestic PTSS, and well-being. Therefore, this study aimed to assess

Volume 10 Issue 3 (2024) 100 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.1985