ArticlePloS one2021
The influence of sex, gender, age, and ethnicity on psychosocial factors and substance use throughout phases of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Article in PloS one, 2021. 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.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
38 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 60 citations in OpenAlex.
- Systematic review of mental health symptom changes by sex or gender in early-COVID-19 compared to pre-pandemic.Scientific reports · 2022Pooled it
- Gender differences and psychosocial stress in upper respiratory tract infections: insights from healthy and hematological cancer cohorts.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Pandemic-Related Stressors Linked to Cannabis and Nicotine Use in a Longitudinal Study of Asian, Latinx, and White Young Adults.Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs · 2026Article
- Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and addictions-related visits among citizens of the Métis Nation of Ontario: A repeated cross-sectional study.PLOS mental health · 2026Article
- Endometriosis and expressions of self-management and resilience among Asian women living in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic: A photovoice study.Journal of public health research · 2026Article
- Sleep, psychological symptoms, and cannabis use before, during, and after COVID-19 "stay-at-home" orders: a structural equation modeling approach.Journal of cannabis research · 2025Article
- One-year ecological momentary assessment of alcohol use, mood, and stress among individuals with alcohol use disorder during SARS-CoV-2 pandemics: a gender-specific reflection.European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience · 2025Observational
- Longer-Term Mental Health Consequences of COVID-19 Infection: Moderation by Race and Socioeconomic Status.International journal of behavioral medicine · 2025Article
- Factors Associated with the Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorders Among Saudi Adults in the Eastern Region and Their Health Implications.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Recognising the heterogeneity of Indigenous Peoples during the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review across Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the USA.BMJ public health · 2024Article
- A qualitative study of experiences among young adults who increased their cannabis use during the COVID-19 pandemic.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Follow-up of telemedicine mental health interventions amid COVID-19 pandemic.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Socio-economic factors associated with post-traumatic stress symptoms among adolescents and young people during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- A comparative effectiveness study of the breaking the cycle and Maxxine Wright intervention programs for substance-involved mothers and their children: study protocol.BMC psychology · 2024Article
- Identifying effective factors to alleviate postnatal distress and coronavirus anxiety in mothers of hospitalized preterm neonates.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2023Article
- Evolution of Depression and Anxiety During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Across Demographic Groups in a Large Sample of U.S. Adults.AJPM focus · 2023Article
- Changes in self-reported cannabis use during the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review.BMC public health · 2023Article
- Evaluating co-occurring space-time clusters of depression and suicide-related outcomes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.Spatial and spatio-temporal epidemiology · 2023Article
- Post-COVID-19 illness and associations with sex and gender.BMC cardiovascular disorders · 2023Article
- Incidence, Risk Factors, and Consequences of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Survivors of COVID-19-Related ARDS.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Observational
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
13 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesThe SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has had profound physical and mental health effects on populations around the world. Limited empirical research has used a gender-based lens to evaluate the mental health impacts of the pandemic, overlooking the impact of public health measures on marginalized groups, such as women, and the gender diverse community. This study used a gender-based analysis to determine the prevalence of psychosocial symptoms and substance use (alcohol and cannabis use in particular) by age, ethnicity, income, rurality, education level, Indigenous status, and sexual orientation.
methodsParticipants in the study were recruited from previously established cohorts as a part of the COVID-19 Rapid Evidence Study of a Provincial Population-Based Cohort for Gender and Sex (RESPPONSE) study. Those who agreed to participate were asked to self-report symptoms of depression, anxiety, pandemic stress, loneliness, alcohol use, and cannabis use across five phases of the pandemic as well as retrospectively before the pandemic.
resultsFor all psychosocial outcomes, there was a significant effect of time with all five phases of the pandemic being associated with more symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, and loneliness relative to pre-COVID levels (p < .0001). Gender was significantly associated with all outcomes (p < .0001) with men exhibiting lower scores (i.e., fewer symptoms) than women and gender diverse participants, and women exhibiting lower scores than the gender diverse group. Other significant predictors were age (younger populations experiencing more symptoms, p < .0001), ethnicity (Chinese/Taiwanese individuals experiencing fewer symptoms, p = .005), and Indigenous status (Indigenous individuals experiencing more symptoms, p < .0001). Alcohol use and cannabis use increased relative to pre-pandemic levels, and women reported a greater increase in cannabis use than men (p < .0001).
conclusionsOur findings highlight the need for policy makers and leaders to prioritize women, gender-diverse individuals, and young people when tailoring public health measures for future pandemics.
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