Networks of pandemic-specific stressors, risk factors, and clinical symptoms: A comparison between women and men during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND

During the COVID-19 pandemic, female gender was a robust factor associated with mental health problems. This study aimed to investigate associations between pandemic-related risk factors, stressors, and clinical symptoms, with special reference to gender and possible differential gender effects.

METHODS

Participants were recruited from June to September 2020 through an online survey (ESTSS ADJUST study). Women (N = 796) and men (N = 796) were matched on age, education, income, and living community. Symptoms of depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (PHQ-4), adjustment disorder (ADNM-8), and PTSD (PC-PTSD-5) and different risk factors including pandemic-specific stressors (PaSS) were assessed. Separate network analyses for men and women were conducted and compared followed by a joint network analysis including gender.

RESULTS

The networks of women and men did not differ in their structure (M = 0.14, p = .174) or strength of associations (S = 1.22, p = .126). Few relationships differed significantly between genders e.g., the connection between burden through work-related problems and anxiety was stronger in women. In the joint network, single factors were related to gender e.g., men felt more burdened through work-related problems and women through conflicts at home.

LIMITATIONS: We cannot imply causal relationships due to the cross-sectional data of our study. The findings cannot be generalized as the sample is not representative.

CONCLUSION

Men and women seem to show comparable networks of risk factors, stressors, and clinical symptoms, although differences in individual connections and in levels of clinical symptoms and burdens were found.