Gender disparity in mental health risk for frontline health care workers

A study of frontline health care providers caring for patients in New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic found a gender-specific risk for chronic stress-related psychological symptoms.

Over the 8 month study period, women were more than twice as likely as men (18.7% vs. 8.8%) to screen positive for major depressive, generalized anxiety, or posttraumatic stress disorders. Researchers say the findings point to the importance of recognizing gender inequities in work settings and home-based caregiving responsibilities, which incur ongoing levels of stress and may increase the likelihood of chronic distress when assessing responses to a new stressor.

The study was led by Yale researchers from the Department of Psychiatry and the School of Public Health – Rachel Hennein, MD, PhD candidate ‘24, Sarah Lowe, PhD, Carolyn M. Mazure, PhD, and Robert H. Pietrzak, PhD, MPH in collaboration with investigators at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.