Factors Associated With Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety Among Women Experiencing Homelessness and Unstable Housing During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Elise D Riley,Torsten B Neilands,Samantha E Dilworth,Derek D Satre,Sheri D Weiser,Michael J Silverberg,Christina Mangurian

doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.17035

Elise D Riley, Torsten B Neilands + Show 5 more

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The prevalence of depression among individuals in the US has increased 300% during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a greater burden of illness in individuals with lower incomes.1 With the goal of informing adaptation of services for socioeconomically marginalized individuals, we surveyed mental health symptoms and social challenges experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic among women experiencing homelessness and unstable housing (HUH). Extrapolating from the available evidence,2,3 there are approximately 440 000 women experiencing HUH in the US.

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The prevalence of depression among individuals in the US has increased 300% during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a greater burden of illness in individuals with lower incomes.1 With the goal of informing adaptation of services for socioeconomically marginalized individuals, we surveyed mental health symptoms and social challenges experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic among women experiencing homelessness and unstable housing (HUH)
Covariates included factors previously associated with depression and anxiety: race/ethnicity, recent homelessness, unmet subsistence needs, social isolation, increased difficulty managing symptoms of a chronic medical condition (HIV, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, asthma, or emphysema), and increased difficulty getting treatment for mental health, substance use, or a chronic medical condition
One-half of women experiencing HUH surveyed here experienced depression and/or anxiety symptoms during the pandemic and, in addition to unmet subsistence needs and social isolation, these symptoms were associated with increased challenges accessing non–COVID-19 care and managing symptoms for chronic medical conditions

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The prevalence of depression among individuals in the US has increased 300% during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a greater burden of illness in individuals with lower incomes. With the goal of informing adaptation of services for socioeconomically marginalized individuals, we surveyed mental health symptoms and social challenges experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic among women experiencing homelessness and unstable housing (HUH). The prevalence of depression among individuals in the US has increased 300% during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a greater burden of illness in individuals with lower incomes.. With the goal of informing adaptation of services for socioeconomically marginalized individuals, we surveyed mental health symptoms and social challenges experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic among women experiencing homelessness and unstable housing (HUH). Extrapolating from the available evidence, there are approximately 440 000 women experiencing HUH in the US. Author affiliations and article information are listed at the end of this article

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