Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Canadian adults with physician-diagnosed mental health conditions as a function of sex in the iCARE Study: Identifying vulnerable groups for targeted interventions

In June 2021, the proportion of Canadians reporting very good or excellent mental health had declined to 61%, from 67% in 2019. While certain groups (e.g., women, visible minorities) were disproportionally impacted by the pandemic, less is known about the psychosocial impacts in those living with mental health conditions (depressive/anxiety disorders). These individuals are especially vulnerable to uncertainty, social isolation and reduced access to care. This study will examine impacts of the pandemic on men and women with a mental health condition over a two-year period. Nine online surveys (administered between Nov 2020-Sep 2022) will be analyzed from the iCARE Study; data will be weighted for age, sex and province. Descriptive statistics will summarize participant characteristics. Multivariable logistic regressions will be adjusted for covariates to examine pandemic impacts on psychological distress, social isolation, interpersonal conflicts, employment/income, access to medical care and health behaviours as a function of mental health status (depressive/anxiety disorder vs. none). Analyses will be repeated by sex. Time trends will be assessed using the Cochran-Armitage trend test. Findings from this study will advance our understanding of the impacts of the pandemic among vulnerable groups (i.e., individuals with pre-existing mental health conditions) across important life domains. This project has implications for the development of interventions aimed at helping those susceptible to greater negative consequences from pandemic-related stressors and prevention policies. Findings from this project will provide opportunities to help those still experiencing the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, while also mitigating these risk for future health emergencies.