Crisis and mental health of working women: risk factors and integrated care interventions based on organizational, individual, and institutional partnership

• Published in: Journal of integrated care (Brighton, England) Vol. 31; no. 1; pp. 26 - 34
• Main Author: Hamouche, Salima
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brighton Emerald Publishing Limited 07-02-2023; Emerald Group Publishing Limited
• Subjects: Ambiguity; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Crises; Female employees; Gender; Health care industry; Health disparities; Health problems; Integrated care; Integrated delivery systems; Intervention; Mental disorders; Mental health; Mental health care; Optimization; Pandemics; Prevention; Preventive medicine; Psychological distress; Risk factors; Social services; Stereotypes; Stress; Uncertainty; Vulnerability; Womens employment; Womens health; Workforce; Working conditions; Working women; Workplaces; COVID-19; Women; Work; Integrated care; Gender; Psychological distress
• ISSN: 1476-9018; 2042-8685
• DOI: 10.1108/JICA-02-2022-0014

PurposeCrises can weigh heavily on individuals' mental health. COVID-19 is a crisis that has shaken humanity, plunging it into a great wave of fear, ambiguity and uncertainty, due to its novelty and rapid spread, as well as lethality. Mental health disparities between women and men have widened as a result of this pandemic. Stress factors have multiplied, especially among working women, making them more psychologically vulnerable than they were before this pandemic and easy prey to psychological distress. This emphasized the importance of having integrated care interventions that take into consideration the organizational context, with gendered lenses. This paper discusses the relationship between COVID-19 and psychological distress among women in the workforce. It presents the main sources of stress and addresses integrated care interventions that can help to prevent psychological distress among women.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is a viewpoint and critique of the recent literature.FindingsInterventions based on a partnership between employers, employees, and government, including health and social services are needed to prevent mental health problems among women in the workplace that can result from crises. In this case, a gendered approach as well as an optimization of the use of new technologies should be favored.Originality/valueThere is little focus on the development of integrated care approaches to address psychological distress among working women in times of crisis and beyond. This paper helps to expand the scope of integrated care to work-related mental health research by exploring the impact of an unprecedented health crisis on a vulnerable group that suffers from disparities in mental health. It also provides insights into preventive interventions, built upon an integrated care approach, based on a tripartite partnership between working women, employing organizations, and governmental institutions, facilitated by the integration of new technologies. By doing this, the author aims to contribute to the prevention of mental health issues that can result from this crisis.