Indian women faced depression, food insecurity during Covid lockdowns, study shows

Though national lockdowns during Covid were potentially crucial to preventing the spread of the deadly infectious disease, these were associated with increased rates of depression and anxiety as well as food insecurity among women in India and other parts of the developing world, research has found.

The study, led by researchers at the University of California San Diego in the US, found that women whose social position may make them more vulnerable — those with daughters and those living in female-headed households — experienced even larger declines in mental health as a result of lockdowns.

The team conducted telephonic surveys of 1,545 households across six states in Northern India — Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra — in August 2020, near the height of the first Covid-19 wave in India.

The findings, to be published in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Economic Development, revealed that women reported a 38 per cent increase in depression, a 44 per cent increase in anxiety and a 73 per cent increase in exhaustion.

"Not having access to work and socialisation outside the home can be very detrimental for women's mental health in developing countries," said Gaurav Khanna, Assistant Professor of economics at the varsity's School of Global Policy and Strategy.

The pandemic resulted in dramatic losses of income for women. In the survey, roughly 25 per cent of households reduced the number of meals consumed, compared to a normal month. However, these declines primarily impacted women because in many cultures throughout the developing world, women's food intake is the first to be limited when food is scarce.

"We found in our study, the consequences of lockdown policies are exacerbated for women. We hope policymakers in developing countries and beyond know what the implications are for these policies, especially for those in vulnerable positions because if there is another wave, communities could be faced with similar lockdowns," Khanna added.

The paper also outlines policy recommendations that could help address the mental and physical health consequences experienced by women during the pandemic.

For example, in certain parts of India, the government did distribute food to rural areas, which helped prevent malnutrition and food insecurity. Counselling and helpline services offered over the phone can also help address the pandemic's mental health impacts, the authors noted.

The findings also have implications for women all over the world who experience lockdowns, they said.

"We suspect the impact in the US on women and mothers, in particular, was also exacerbated," Khanna said. "When kids are not in school, or daycare, the burden usually falls on women because of traditional gender roles with child care. Policymakers should be cognisant of the fact that women are going to be impacted differently by these policies."

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