RT Journal Article
T1 Psychological Responses According to Gender during the Early Stage of COVID-19 in Spain
A1 Río Casanova, Lucía del
A1 Sánchez Martín, Milagrosa
A1 García Dantas, Ana
A1 González Vázquez, Anabel
A1 Justo, Ania
K1 COVID-19 confinement
K1 Gender
K1 Mental health
K1 Psychological impact
K1 Quarantine consequences
K1 Post-traumatic stress
AB Background: Current research has pointed out an increased risk of mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic in women compared to men, however the reason for this difference remains unclear. The aim of this research is to study early psychological responses to the pandemic in the Spanish general population, focusing on gender differences. Methods: Nine to 14 days after the declaration of a state of emergency an online survey was conducted assessing sociodemographic, health, behavioral and COVID-19-related variables. Mental health status was evaluated by the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and the Self-Care Scale (SCS). Results: The study included 3520 respondents: 2611 women and 909 men. Women scored significantly higher in DASS-21 and IES-R (p < 0.05) and were more likely to somatize, suffer from hypochondriasis, sleeping disturbances and claustrophobia (p < 0.05). Being a woman can be considered a risk factor for intrusive thoughts, avoidance mechanisms, stress and anxiety (Odd Ratio = 2.7/2.3/2.3/1.6). The risk of presenting posttraumatic symptoms and emotional distress was greater in women (Odd Ratio = 6.77/4.59). General linear models to predict IES-R and DASS-21 scores clarified which variables were gender specific, such as main concerns. Conclusions: This study provides evidence that at early stages of the pandemic, women mental health was more impacted and that both genders show different concerns. Gender perspective in secondary and tertiary prevention strategies must be taken into account when facing the distress associated with the pandemic
PB MDPI
YR 2021
FD 2021
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10347/26800
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10347/26800
LA eng
NO Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(7), 3731; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18073731
DS Minerva
RD 22 abr 2026