COVID And Men's Mental Health: The Impact On Economic Status

More than six million men in the US experience depression each year, and more than three million experience an anxiety disorder, according to Mental Health America. While all people can experience mental health challenges, studies show that men struggle to speak up about mental health more frequently, perhaps due to traditional masculinity stereotypes and stigmas. 

Focusing on a specific study by Dorit Hadar-Shovil, it can be helpful to look at the economic impact of COVID-19 on men's mental health and how economic status can change how men view their masculinity. Studies like these pave the way to future understandings of mental health treatment for men.

Men's mental health and economics 

With an emphasis on upholding traditional masculinity (in which men are expected to be breadwinners, "strong," etc.), men's self-esteem and mental health are closely related to their work and economic status. Traditional gender roles indicate that a man who works hard and is paid well performs masculinity well. For this reason, a man losing his job or income can have direct mental health impacts. 

With the traditional gender roles presenting men as breadwinners, unemployment may create a particular burden for men. A recent report from the IZA World of Labor revealed that the number of working-age men outside the labor force is on the rise worldwide, and, in turn, so is a corresponding rise in mental health challenges, including depression, stress, and anger. Male unemployment is also linked to many physical health concerns.

Social standing can be critical in unemployment, researchers believe, as the self-image and self-esteem of working-class men are often intertwined with a hard work ethic. This factor makes unemployment for working-class men carry a more significant stigma than for other groups. According to The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, unemployment rates are particularly problematic in the United States, where labor participation among working-age men is among the lowest.

COVID and men’s mental health

On March 11th, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) proclaimed COVID-19 a global health crisis after the virus spread from China to other countries. High infection rates and mortality came with an unprecedented economic crisis and recession. Due to social distancing and self-isolation mandates, many people could not keep their jobs, and by April 2020, the unemployment rate had jumped from 3.5% to 14.7%. 

Unemployment, illness, and long-term, widespread fear can cause significant distress and mental health challenges. Studies before the COVID-19 pandemic looked at the psychological impact of pandemics. Regardless of exposure to a disease, affected populations reported fear, anxiety, and a sense of helplessness. Changes in society, like closures of schools and businesses, further increased negative feelings and experiences.

Following the trend of earlier pandemic studies, research conducted that the COVID-19 pandemic caused higher levels of anxiety, depression, stress, eating problems, and impaired mental health.

Men's mental health and the COVID-19 pandemic

Though some research shows that women have experienced more mental health impairment than men during the pandemic, other findings suggest that men experience mental health impairment at least as much as women. For example, some studies have shown that although women are diagnosed with depression far more frequently than men, more men die by suicide.

To better understand the discrepancies in research, it may be helpful to think about how men have alternative ways of experiencing and expressing their emotional states due to different hormonal processes and brain structures. Men have the same rates of anxiety, depression, stress, and emotional eating as women. Still, current diagnostic methods may fail to fully capture these rates, leading to potentially underdiagnosed distress in men. 

This discrepancy may be because men have different ways of experiencing and expressing emotions. Some men, for example, will suppress emotions and "mask" depressive symptoms through substance use or other externalizing behaviors — behaviors that may not be typically associated with depression.

Another possible explanation is that men may hesitate to report specific emotional symptoms due to gender socialization. This socialization could lead to further underdiagnosed and overlooked mental health impairment in men.

Studies on mental health and COVID-19 

Participants included in Hadar-Shovil's study included 1,807 adults aged 18 to 75 recruited online. There were no exclusion criteria. More than half of the sample was female, and the mean age was 40, with the mean years of education at 14.87. Most participants lived in urban areas and were employed, and 31.7% of the individuals' economic status had significantly deteriorated since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This survey assessed demographic characteristics and their recent psychological and behavioral challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey was online, and all participation was voluntary, with everyone providing written consent.

In the study, researchers presented three hypotheses:

• Hypothesis 1: Mental health impairment levels would differ between men and women, with women reporting more mental health impairment.

• Hypothesis 2: Mental health would be associated with economic status deterioration, and individuals whose economic status significantly deteriorated due to COVID-19 would report higher mental health impairment.

• Hypothesis 3: There would be a difference in reported mental health between men and women whose economic status did not decrease. A significantly smaller difference would exist between men and women whose economic status significantly deteriorated.

Results

As expected by the researchers, the pandemic significantly affected participants' mental health.

• More than half of the individuals (58.5%) reported increased emotional eating.

• Almost half of the participants (46.4%) reported "adjustment difficulty" or adjustment disorder (an unhealthy or excessive emotional or behavioral reaction to a stressful event or change).

• Of the 1,807 participants, 211 (11.6%) reported a severe level of depression, and 11.9% had a severe level of anxiety.

• Over 20% of individuals reported severe levels of stress.

Gender differences in results 

The researchers' first hypothesis predicted that women would have higher levels of mental health impairment than men. Their hypothesis was true, with women reporting higher levels of emotional eating, adjustment issues, and distress than men.

In the second hypothesis, researchers proposed that job loss or economic deterioration would be associated with mental health changes, with those who experienced economic deterioration facing more mental health challenges. The hypothesis was correct, as job loss was associated with emotional eating, adjustment difficulties, and distress. Further testing showed that participants whose economic status significantly deteriorated had much higher emotional eating levels, adjustment difficulties, and distress scores than those whose economic status did not significantly change.

The third hypothesis predicted differences in emotional eating adjustment difficulties based on gender and economic deterioration. While women's emotional eating stayed relatively steady when facing significant economic struggle, men's emotional eating worsened with economic deterioration. Additionally, adjustment difficulties were greater in men and women who experienced significant economic struggles.

What do the results indicate? 

Looking at the research, it could be implied that both men and women experience mental health challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the findings reveal a more complex situation. Men's mental health challenges were as severe as women's when looking at individuals significantly economically impacted by the pandemic. This result surprised researchers because men's mental health impairments are typically reported as lower than women's across the board. Without comparing men's mental health impairment to women's economic deterioration, researchers would not see the severity of men's mental health challenges.

This research suggests that COVID-19 has significantly harmed men's mental health. This psychological distress could be due to uncertainty around job insecurity and the fact that, for men, economic status is tied up with traditional gender roles and masculinity. This factor may make job loss a threat to men's masculine identity, negatively impacting mental health and making COVID-19 and related job loss a more complex and devastating challenge for men.

Conclusions

The COVID-19 pandemic brought unique challenges to communities worldwide, and the effects of the pandemic are projected to have long-term effects on mental health. Because of this factor, it can be beneficial to be aware of all populations facing mental health struggles, including men, whose mental health issues have generally been more challenging to identify and treat with current research.

While some theoreticians suggest changing diagnostic tools to measure men's mental health more efficiently, these changes can take time to implement. In the meantime, the above study demonstrates how men's distress can be identified using these measures and analyzing the patterns in files rather than relying on inaccurate or biased diagnostic measures.

Additionally, the COVID-19 crisis may provide an opportunity to learn and understand more about mental health, specifically men's mental health. Because the pandemic is all-encompassing, ongoing, and long-lasting, findings can be gathered in different populations over time. This information can then be used in future situations.

Mental health services for men

It has been three years since the COVID-19 shutdowns began, but the impact of the pandemic causes stress for many, with men having unique implications. The concern of being physically impacted by the virus and economic uncertainty can lead to adverse mental health outcomes. However, men are significantly less likely to reach out for help. According to Mental Health America, the causes of this reluctance can include social norms, downplaying symptoms, and a reluctance to talk. 

Other mental health support options during the COVID-19 pandemic

Online therapy can be a positive option for people reluctant to try therapy. People who avoid therapy or find it challenging to open up to a therapist may prefer an online format to traditional, face-to-face therapy — and research shows that online therapy effectively reduces depression. 

Online therapy through a platform like BetterHelp allows individuals to speak with a therapist from home – or anywhere with an internet connection – which can be important for people concerned about the "stigma" that may surround asking for support. In addition, clients can choose the gender of their therapist and attend therapy using a nickname if it makes them more comfortable.