Utilising quantitative methods to study the intersectionality of multiple social disadvantages in women with common mental disorders: a systematic review

Abstract Women are at greater risk of common mental disorders. The intersectionality concept provides a framework to examine the effects of multiple social disadvantages on women’s mental health. We conducted a systematic review to collect and analyse information to identify the quantitative methodologies and study designs used in intersectional research to examine women’s mental health and multiple social disadvantages. Included studies used accepted statistical methods to explore the intersectional effects of gender and one or more types of social disadvantage from the PROGRESS-Plus inequity framework: a place of residence, race/ethnicity, occupation, gender/ sex, religion, education, socioeconomic status, social capital (O’Neill et al. J Clin Epidemiol 67:56–64, 2014). The scope of this systematic review was limited to studies that analysed common mental disorders in women and men comparatively. Studies focusing on only one gender were excluded, ensuring a comprehensive comparative analysis of the intersection of social disadvantages in mental health. Twelve papers were included in the narrative synthesis (Table 1). Eight of the included papers (67%) reported an intersectional effect of gender and one or more additional types of social disadvantage. The multiplicative effect of gender and socioeconomic status on the risk of common mental disorders was the most commonly reported interaction. This systematic review shows that multiplicative and simultaneous interactions of multiple social disadvantage increase the risk of common mental disorders experienced by women. Moreover, it underlines the potential for quantitative research methods to complement qualitative intersectionality research on gender and mental health. The findings of this systematic review highlight the importance of multiple social disadvantage in understanding the increased risk of mental health experienced by women.