ArticleBMC women's health2017
Burden and correlates of mental health diagnoses among sex workers in an urban setting.
Article in BMC women's health, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 38 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
38 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 74 citations in OpenAlex.
- Mental health of LGBTQ+ workers: a systematic review.BMC psychiatry · 2025Pooled it
- Sex Work Stigma as a Partial Mediator Between Social Support and Depressive Symptoms Among Vulnerable Women Engaged in Sex Work in Southern Uganda.AIDS and behavior · 2026Trial
- Mental health and substance use among women frequenting high-risk venues in Haiphong, Vietnam: findings from an adapted PLACE survey.The International journal on drug policy · 2026Article
- Prevalence and determinants of unintended pregnancy among female sex workers (FSW) in Jashore, Bangladesh.PloS one · 2026Article
- "They look you up and down like you are nothing": A qualitative exploration of sex workers' health needs and interactions with UK healthcare services.International journal of nursing studies advances · 2025Article
- A quantitative study on female sex workers' mental health in Germany.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Everyday discrimination and barriers to primary care, mental health, and substance use services: Findings from a community-based cohort of sex workers in Vancouver, Canada (2015-2024).PLOS global public health · 2025Article
- Assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of female entertainment workers in Cambodia: a group model building approach.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- Experiences of Sex Workers in Chicago during COVID-19: A Qualitative Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- Mental health and HIV risk differs by co-occurring structural vulnerabilities among women who sell sex.AIDS care · 2023Article
- Mental healthcare for young and adolescent LGBTQ+ individuals in the Indian subcontinent.Frontiers in psychology · 2023Review
- The Effect of Systemic Racism and Homophobia on Police Enforcement and Sexual and Emotional Violence among Sex Workers in East London: Findings from a Cohort Study.Journal of urban health : bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine · 2022Article
- An Exploratory Investigation of Childhood Sexual Abuse and Other Theory-Driven Predictors of Sex Work Among Women with and without Childhood ADHD.Journal of child & adolescent trauma · 2022Article
- History of Sex Work Is Associated with Increased Risk of Adverse Mental Health and Substance Use Outcomes in Transgender Adults.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Temporomandibular Disorders and Bruxism among Sex Workers-A Cross Sectional Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2022Article
- External resilience in the context of drug use and socio-structural vulnerabilities: a qualitative exploration among women who use drugs and sell sex in Baltimore, Maryland.Harm reduction journal · 2022Article
- Effect of police enforcement and extreme social inequalities on violence and mental health among women who sell sex: findings from a cohort study in London, UK.Sexually transmitted infections · 2022Article
- Typologies and Correlates of Police Violence Against Female Sex Workers Who Inject Drugs at the México-United States Border: Limits ofJournal of interpersonal violence · 2022Article
- Interest in receiving psychedelic-assisted therapy among marginalized women: Implications and findings from a community-based study in Canada.Drug and alcohol dependence reports · 2022Article
- Mental Health Status of Female Sex Workers Exposed to Violence in Yangon, Myanmar.Asia-Pacific journal of public health · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundWomen involved in both street-level and off-street sex work face disproportionate health and social inequities compared to the general population. While much research has focused on HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among sex workers, there remains a gap in evidence regarding the broader health issues faced by this population, including mental health. Given limited evidence describing the mental health of women in sex work, our objective was to evaluate the burden and correlates of mental health diagnoses among this population in Vancouver, Canada.
methodsAn Evaluation of Sex Workers Health Access (AESHA) is a prospective, community-based cohort of on- and off-street women in sex work in Vancouver, Canada. Participants complete interviewer-administered questionnaires semi-annually. We analyzed the lifetime burden and correlates of self-reported mental health diagnoses using bivariate and multivariable logistic regression.
resultsAmong 692 sex workers enrolled between January 2010 and February 2013, 338 (48.8%) reported ever being diagnosed with a mental health issue, with the most common diagnoses being depression (35.1%) and anxiety (19.9%). In multivariable analysis, women with mental health diagnoses were more likely to identify as a sexual/gender minority (LGBTQ) [AOR=2.56, 95% CI: 1.72-3.81], to use non-injection drugs [AOR=1.85, 95% CI: 1.12-3.08], to have experienced childhood physical/sexual trauma [AOR=2.90, 95% CI: 1.89-4.45], and work in informal indoor [AOR=1.94, 95% CI: 1.12 - 3.40] or street/public spaces [AOR=1.76, 95% CI: 1.03-2.99].
conclusionsThis analysis highlights the disproportionate mental health burden experienced by women in sex work, particularly among those identifying as a sexual/gender minority, those who use drugs, and those who work in informal indoor venues and street/public spaces. Evidence-informed interventions tailored to sex workers that address intersections between trauma and mental health should be further explored, alongside policies to foster access to safer workspaces and health services.
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