Negative Employment Changes During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Psychological Distress: Evidence From a Nationally Representative Survey in the U.S

Timothy A Matthews; Liwei Chen; Zhuo Chen; Xuesong Han; Lu Shi; Yan Li; Ming Wen; Donglan Zhang; Hongmei Li; Dejun Su; Jian Li

doi:10.1097/JOM.0000000000002325

Negative Employment Changes During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Psychological Distress: Evidence From a Nationally Representative Survey in the U.S

J Occup Environ Med. 2021 Nov 1;63(11):931-937. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000002325.

Authors

Timothy A Matthews¹, Liwei Chen, Zhuo Chen, Xuesong Han, Lu Shi, Yan Li, Ming Wen, Donglan Zhang, Hongmei Li, Dejun Su, Jian Li

Affiliation

¹ Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California (Mr Matthews and Dr Li); Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California (Dr Chen); Department of Health Policy and Management, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia (Dr Chen); School of Economics, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo, China (Dr Chen); Surveillance and Health Equity Science, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, Georgia (Dr Han); Department of Public Health Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina (Dr Shi); Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York (Dr Li); Department of Sociology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah (Dr Wen); Department of Health Policy and Management, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia (Dr Zhang); Department of Media, Journalism and Film, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio (Dr Li); Department of Health Promotion, College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska (Dr Su); School of Nursing, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California (Dr. Li).

Abstract

Objective: We examined associations of negative employment changes during the COVID-19 pandemic with mental health in a national sample of U.S. workers, and whether the associations differed by race.

Methods: Data were from the Health, Ethnicity, and Pandemic Study, a cross-sectional survey. The effects of negative employment changes on psychological distress in 1510 workers were examined via linear regression, and stratified analyses were conducted across racial subgroups.

Results: After adjustment for covariates, compared to workers with no change in employment, those who experienced permanent job loss had the highest psychological distress (β and 95% CI = 3.27 [1.89, 4.65]). Permanent job loss had the greatest effect on psychological distress in Blacks and Asians.

Conclusion: Negative employment changes related to the pandemic may have deleterious impacts on workers' mental health, with disproportionate effects on racial minorities.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Employment
Humans
Pandemics
Psychological Distress*
SARS-CoV-2