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The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns negatively impacted the mental health of populations. This impact is not equally distributed and increases existing mental health inequalities. Indeed, government restrictions and the economic consequences of the pandemic affect more the less educated and less wealthy people. However, psychological processes implicated in this increase of mental health inequalities during the COVID-19 pandemic remain unexplored. The present study (N=591) tested the role of financial insecurity and attentional control in the relation between socioeconomic status and mental health, along with the influence of trait anxiety. Based on Structural Equation Modelling, findings showed a mediation effect of financial insecurity, but not of attentional control, in the relationship between socioeconomic status and mental health. In addition, exploratory analyses suggested that financial insecurity also mediated the effect of attentional control on mental health. Results of the present research point at the importance of understanding psychological processes implicated in the effect of economic crises on mental health inequalities.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the policy measures to control its spread—lockdowns, physical distancing, and social isolation—have coincided with the deterioration of people's mental well-being. We use data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS) to document how this phenomenon is related to the situation of working parents who now have to manage competing time demands across the two life domains of work and home. We show that the deterioration of mental health is worse for working parents, and that it is strongly related to increased financial insecurity and time spent on childcare and home schooling. This burden is not shared equally between men and women, and between richer and poorer households. These inequalities ought to be taken into account when crafting policy responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in India face additional health inequities compared to their male peers, as gender norms constrain agency for prevention and self-care. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns deepened health inequities and often worsened mental health, but the impacts on agency are unclear. This exploratory sequential mixed methods paper examined mental health and COVID-19 elements that exacerbated or mitigated adverse consequences for AGYW in low-income communities in Mumbai., Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with AGYW (aged 15-25 years; N = 60) and adults (parents, healthcare providers, community-based organization representative; N = 30). We administered a structured survey to AGYW (N = 150) to assess health concerns, depression and anxiety symptoms (using the PHQ-8 and GAD-7 scales), and experiences during COVID-19. We analyzed qualitative data using the constant comparative approach in Atlas.ti, and quantitative data using R and SPSS., Results: Qualitative data revealed that AGYW faced stressors and had limited agency during lockdowns due to limited access to education, financial insecurity, and community violence. Quantitative data indicated that limited agency in the context of COVID-19 was significantly associated with depression and anxiety. Financial resources to address COVID-19 created new employment and leadership opportunities for AGYW to become COVID educators and preschool teachers; participation in these opportunities was associated with less anxiety., Discussion: Pandemic stress was difficult for low-income AGYW in Mumbai. Mitigating programs for COVID-19 control helped address acute needs and enable capabilities. Exploring similar themes among a broader population of youth can help design strategies and opportunities for young people in low-income communities during health emergencies.

The novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has magnified the issue of financial insecurity. However, its effect on individual-organizational relations and, consequently, on organizational performance remains understudied. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore the spillover effect of financial insecurity on the burnout–disengagement relationship during the pandemic. The authors investigate in particular whether the spillover effect influences the performance of moonlighting employees and also explore the mediating effect of disengagement on the relationship between financial insecurity and burnout interaction effect and the performance (i.e., mediated-moderation). This study collected responses from 162 public and private sector employees who are engaged in moonlighting activities in Malaysia. The results from the partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) revealed greater levels of financial insecurity and burnout associated with greater levels of work disengagement. The analysis of the interaction-moderation effect showed that when financial insecurity rises, the burnout effect on work disengagement increases among moonlighters. Using the PROCESS macro model, the results displayed burnout as a predictor of extra-role performance via a moderated (financial insecurity) mediation (work disengagement) relationship. Going forward, this study not only opens new avenues for research into the financial consequences of COVID-19 but also calls on managers to take proactive steps to mitigate the negative effect of the pandemic on the performance of moonlighting employees to keep them in the profession.

The novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has magnified the issue of financial insecurity. However, its effect on individual-organizational relations and, consequently, on organizational performance remains understudied. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore the spillover effect of financial insecurity on the burnout–disengagement relationship during the pandemic. The authors investigate in particular whether the spillover effect influences the performance of moonlighting employees and also explore the mediating effect of disengagement on the relationship between financial insecurity and burnout interaction effect and the performance (i.e., mediated-moderation). This study collected responses from 162 public and private sector employees who are engaged in moonlighting activities in Malaysia. The results from the partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) revealed greater levels of financial insecurity and burnout associated with greater levels of work disengagement. The analysis of the interaction-moderation effect showed that when financial insecurity rises, the burnout effect on work disengagement increases among moonlighters. Using the PROCESS macro model, the results displayed burnout as a predictor of extra-role performance via a moderated (financial insecurity) mediation (work disengagement) relationship. Going forward, this study not only opens new avenues for research into the financial consequences of COVID-19 but also calls on managers to take proactive steps to mitigate the negative effect of the pandemic on the performance of moonlighting employees to keep them in the profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gains in cancer detection and treatment have meant that more patients are now living with both cancer and other chronic health conditions, which may become burdensome. We used the Patient Experience with Treatment and Self-Management (PETS) framework to study challenges in self-management and its impact on health among survivors of women's cancers who are caring for other chronic health conditions. Methods: Applicability of the PETS domains among survivors of women's cancers with comorbidities was assessed in focus groups to create the study survey. Women surviving primary breast, cervical, ovarian, or endometrial/uterine cancer treated between 6 months and 3 years prior at two large healthcare systems in Virginia were mailed study invitation letters to complete a telephone-based survey. The survey included questions on cancer treatment history, comorbid conditions prior to cancer, treatment and self-management experiences, health literacy, financial security, and items on self-management activities, self-management difficulties and self-management impact (i.e., role/social activity limitations and physical/mental exhaustion). Additionally, general health was assessed with items from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS). Hierarchical regression models and path analysis were used to examine correlates of self-management impact on general physical health (GPH) and mental health (GMH). Results: Of 1448 patients contacted by mail, 274 (26%) returned an interest form providing their consent to be contacted. Of these, 183 completed the survey. Reasons for non-completion included ineligibility (42), unable to be reached (33) and refusal (6). The majority were survivors of breast (58%) or endometrial/uterine cancer (28%), and 45% resided in non-urban locations. After adjusting for age, race, and cancer type, survivors with higher self-management difficulty reported higher self-management impact, which was associated with lower perceived general health. Reports of higher self-management impact was associated with being single or unmarried, white race, fulltime employed, higher financial insecurity, lower health literacy and more comorbidities. In path analysis, self-management impact was a significant mediator in the association of comorbidity and financial insecurity on GPH and GMH. Conclusions: Among survivors of women's cancer, pre-diagnosis comorbidity, health literacy, and financial security are associated with psychosocial impact of self-management and general physical and mental health in the 6 month to 3-year period after cancer treatment has ended. The impact of self-management on psychosocial functioning is an important factor among cancer survivors caring for multiple chronic health conditions. This study provides evidence on the importance of assessing cancer survivors' self-management difficulties such as in future interventions to promote health and wellness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns negatively impacted the mental health of populations. This impact is not equally distributed and increases existing mental health inequalities. Indeed, government restrictions and the economic consequences of the pandemic affect more the less educated and less wealthy people. However, psychological processes implicated in this increase of mental health inequalities during the COVID-19 pandemic remain unexplored. The present study (N=591) tested the role of financial insecurity and attentional control in the relation between socioeconomic status and mental health, along with the influence of trait anxiety. Based on Structural Equation Modelling, findings showed a mediation effect of financial insecurity, but not of attentional control, in the relationship between socioeconomic status and mental health. In addition, exploratory analyses suggested that financial insecurity also mediated the effect of attentional control on mental health. Results of the present research point at the importance of understanding psychological processes implicated in the effect of economic crises on mental health inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The present study examines the impact of coronavirus-related restrictions on mental health among American adults, and how this relationship varies as a function of time and two measures of vulnerability (preexisting physical symptoms and job insecurity). Methods We draw on data from two waves of Corona Impact Survey, which were fielded in late April and early of May 2020. Multilevel models were used to analyze the hierarchically nested data. Results Experiencing coronavirus disease-2019 restrictions significantly raise mental distress. This association is stronger for individuals with preexisting health conditions and those who worry about job prospects. These findings hold with the inclusion of region-wave covariates (number of deaths, wave dummy and aggregate measure of restrictions). Finally, there is a cross-level interaction: the restriction-distress connection is more pronounced in the second wave of data. Conclusions Our research indicates that people who are more physically and/or financially vulnerable suffer more from the imposed restrictions, i.e. 'social isolation'. The mental health impact of coronavirus pandemic is not constant but conditional on the level of vulnerability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retaining human resources is essential for a company’s competitiveness. Losing a high-capacity employee can hurt a company’s performance. In this study, we investigate the inter-relationship among work-related factors, for instance, job stress, person-environment-fit, and quitting intention of employees in Thailand. Data were collected from 400 office workers in Bangkok, Thailand, utilizing structured questionnaires derived from the conceptual framework. The gathered data were analyzed using the structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. We found that work overload, role ambiguity, and role conflict, as mediated through job stress, would influence employee turnover intention. However, unlike the previous employee turnover intention model that factors were typically mediated through job stress, we found that higher responsibility and greater financial insecurity directly drive turnover intention (positively for financial insecurity but negatively for responsibility).

Data from two longitudinal samples were utilized to elucidate underlying mechanisms of the well‐established relationship between financial insecurity and health outcomes, stemming from the theoretical rationale of conservation of resources and cognitive appraisal theories. Study 1 (n = 80) consisted of low‐wage food manufacturing employees working full time, while Study 2 (n = 331) was consisted of a larger, heterogeneous sample of full‐time workers representing multiple occupations. Respondents were surveyed on financial insecurity, work‐to‐family conflict (WFC), stress, and health outcomes at two time periods, 3 months apart. Results across our studies provided support for the direct effects of financial insecurity on WFC and stress. In addition, appraisals of WFC and stress serve as significant mediators of the relationship between financial insecurity and health outcomes, including a significant overall lagged effect across time, and perceived stress accounting for the largest proportion of variance in the lagged relationship among Time 1 financial insecurity and Time 2 health outcomes. Besides support for conservation of resources and cognitive appraisal theories, practically, our studies suggest that workplace initiatives to reduce financial insecurity could positively influence employees’ work–family, stress, and health experiences. Practitioner points: When workers experience financial insecurity, it can have detrimental effects on their health. The effect of financial insecurity on worker health appears to occur because of increased work–family conflict and stress associated with financial insecurity. Direct interventions related to addressing financial insecurity may be challenging, but data suggest there may be a meaningful return‐on‐investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although depression and financial distress are correlated, this association may differ for demographic groups, particularly based on race. Aim: Using a national sample of American adults, this study tested whether the association between Major Depressive Episode (MDE) and financial distress differs between African Americans and Whites. Methods: The National Survey of American Life (NSAL), 2003, enrolled 3570 African American and 891 Non-Hispanic White American adults. Demographic data (age and gender), socioeconomic position (SEP; i.e., education, employment, marital status, and income), financial distress, and 12-month MDE were measured. Logistic regression was used for data analysis. Results: In the pooled sample, 12-month MDE was associated with higher odds of financial distress, above and beyond objective SEP measures. We found MDE by race interaction on financial distress, suggesting stronger association between MDE and financial distress among African Americans, compared to Whites. Conclusions: The link between MDE and financial distress depends on race. The financial needs of African Americans with depression should be addressed. Depression screening is also needed for African Americans with financial distress.

The purpose of this paper was to address two questions: (i) Do Ghanaian and African American males with HIV/AIDS experience different types and degrees of stigma? and (ii) Is the impact of stigma associated with HIV/AIDS on the self different for Ghanaian and African American males? A quantitative method was used, and the four dimensions of stigma (social rejection, financial insecurity, internalised shame, and social interaction) were identified and measured using combination Likert-type questionnaires. Data regarding positive feelings of selfworth and self-deprecation, stress related to body image, and personal control were also collected in Ghana and the southeastern USA. The sample consisted of 55 men from Ghana and 55 men from the southeastern USA. Results indicate that values for the scales measuring stigma and self-perception were significantly higher for the Ghanaian sample than for the African American sample. Thus we conclude that the Ghanaian sample living with HIV/AIDS experienced a greater amount of negative self-perception and stigma-related strife than the African American sample.

Abstract: Little is known about the effects of financial insecurity on social interactions despite consistently observed income effects on social capital and a growing recognition of the potential importance of income volatility in affecting hardships, distress, and other aspects of well-being. We use data on women participating in a longitudinal study in the U.S. to investigate the effects of financial insecurity measured along two dimensions (safety nets and hardships) on two types of social interactions (participating in community organizations and having close friends). In auxiliary analyses we explore the potential mediating effects of mental health. We find that safety nets in the form of bank accounts, credit cards, and ability to borrow money increase both participation in organizations and friendships, whereas material hardships decrease friendships but increase participation in organizations. We find no evidence that mental health, as we have measured it, mediates the observed effects of financial insecurity on social interactions, although it has strong and negative independent associations with having close friends. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objective: To assess the relationship between hypertension and perceived material insecurity in a disadvantaged Caribbean population. Patients and methods: We used data from a cross-sectional study involving 2420 disadvantaged subjects aged 18–69 years, included consecutively at three Guadeloupian health centers. Hypertension was diagnosed over two consultations with a total of six blood pressure measurements. Perceived material insecurity was assessed using a closed-ended question. Results: The prevalence of hypertension was estimated at 17.7% among subjects who believed their material situation would improve in the future, at 28.2% among those who believed it would remain the same, and at 43.3% among those who believed it would deteriorate. A multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that hypertension risk more than doubled (OR: 2.35 – P: 0.002) among subjects who believed that their material situation would deteriorate in the future compared to those who believed that their situation would improve, with no significant sex-related differences. This relationship was especially strong among subjects aged 40 years or more (OR: 3.30 – P <10−3), and among subjects with low education level (OR: 3.81 – P: 0.003), but was independent of the other tested variables. Conclusion: In this disadvantaged population, perceived material insecurity is a psychosocial factor strongly associated with hypertension, independently of subjects’ risk behaviors. Subjects aged 40 years or more and subjects with a low education level seem the most vulnerable. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Over the past 20 years, socioeconomic inequalities in mortality have widened, while job security and financial security have decreased. This paper examines the Whitehall II study, a longitudinal study of white-collar British civil servants. In the Whitehall II cohort socioeconomic gradients in morbidity and cardiovascular risk factors at Phase 5 (1997–99) were generally steeper than at Phase 1 (1985–88). We examine the contribution of job and financial insecurity to these at Phase 5 in 6770 women and men, all of whom were white-collar civil servants at Phase 1. Steep, inverse employment grade gradients were observed for all health measures at Phase 5, except cholesterol and systolic blood pressure in women. Gradients in the sub-population of non-employed participants tended to be steeper than gradients for participants in employment, although, with the exception of self-rated health and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) score in men, differences were non-significant. Steep gradients in job insecurity were observed among employed participants (p&les;0.01), and in financial insecurity among both employed and non-employed participants (p&les;0.001), particularly non-employed men. With the exception of depression, adjustment for job insecurity had little effect on the employment grade gradients in morbidity. However, financial insecurity contributed substantially to gradients in self-rated health, longstanding illness, and depression in both employed and non-employed men, and additionally to GHQ score and diastolic blood pressure in the latter. Adjustment for financial insecurity in non-employed women substantially attenuated gradients in self-rated health, GHQ score and depression. These findings imply that the specific effects of job insecurity in this cohort may be less important than the more general effects of financial insecurity in determining inequalities in health. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives: Smokers with financial and food insecurity may find it difficult to quit smoking and reduce their children’s tobacco smoke exposure (TSE). The objective was to examine the associations between child TSE and financial and food insecurity among U.S. school-aged children. Methods: We examined the 2018−2019 National Survey of Children’s Health data on 17,484 children 6−11 years old. Children were categorized into TSE groups: (1) No TSE: did not live with a smoker; (2) thirdhand smoke (THS) exposure alone: lived with a smoker who did not smoke inside the home; or (3) secondhand smoke (SHS) and THS exposure: lived with a smoker who smoked inside the home. We conducted weighted logistic, ordinal, and linear regression analyses to assess the relationships between child TSE status and financial and food insecurity, adjusting for covariates. Results: Overall, 13.1% and 1.8% of children had THS exposure alone and SHS and THS exposure, respectively. Compared to children with no TSE, children with THS exposure alone were at 2.17 increased odds (95% CI = 1.83, 2.58, p < 0.001) and children with SHS and THS exposure were at 2.24 increased odds (95% CI = 1.57, 3.19, p < 0.001) of having financial insecurity. Children with THS exposure alone were at 1.92 increased odds (95% CI = 1.58, 2.33, p < 0.001) and children with SHS and THS exposure were at 2.14 increased odds (95% CI = 1.45, 3.16, p < 0.001) of having food insecurity. Conclusions: Children with TSE are at increased risk of experiencing financial and food insecurity. When developing tobacco interventions, a holistic approach to tobacco control that addresses ways to decrease financial and food hardships may improve outcomes.

The article presents the author's views on the economic aspects of cancer patients' medical care in the U.S., highlighting the case of her 67-year-old female patient with stage IV lung cancer. The patient was reportedly losing weight despite responding well to treatment as she could not afford to buy more food. Also discussed are the financial toxicity concept, the lack of government programs to help cancer patients, and the impact of food insecurity on patients' survival.

Background: Although depression and financial distress are correlated, this association may differ for demographic groups, particularly based on race. Aim: Using a national sample of American adults, this study tested whether the association between Major Depressive Episode (MDE) and financial distress differs between African Americans and Whites. Methods: The National Survey of American Life (NSAL), 2003, enrolled 3570 African American and 891 Non-Hispanic White American adults. Demographic data (age and gender), socioeconomic position (SEP; i.e., education, employment, marital status, and income), financial distress, and 12-month MDE were measured. Logistic regression was used for data analysis. Results: In the pooled sample, 12-month MDE was associated with higher odds of financial distress, above and beyond objective SEP measures. We found MDE by race interaction on financial distress, suggesting stronger association between MDE and financial distress among African Americans, compared to Whites. Conclusions: The link between MDE and financial distress depends on race. The financial needs of African Americans with depression should be addressed. Depression screening is also needed for African Americans with financial distress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]