AUTHOR=Joyce Andrew , Tran Thach , Stocker Ruby , Fisher Jane 

TITLE=Mental and social wellbeing trajectory during the pandemic for vulnerable populations

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 12 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1337401

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2024.1337401

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=Objectives: We investigated changes over time of mental and social well-being indicators for vulnerable population sub-groups during the pandemic. These groups were younger people, people with disabilities, low-income groups, unemployed, culturally and linguistically diverse communities (CaLD), and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Methods: A series of four repeated population representative surveys were conducted in June 2020, September 2020, January 2022 and June 2022. Questions included items on psychological distress, financial hardship, social connection, and life satisfaction.
Results: For most groups social connection and life satisfaction improved in 2022 relative to 2020. Psychological distress and financial hardship showed the opposite pattern with some groups having worse results in 2022 relative to 2020. People without any vulnerability had better mental health and social wellbeing outcomes at each time point relative to vulnerable population sub-groups.
Conclusions: Pandemic related policies had differential effects over time and for different population groups. Future policies and research need to closely monitor how they impact on population subgroups and the results overall clearly demonstrate the inequity in mental health and social well-being outcomes for vulnerable population cohorts.