丁香园AV

Research has shown that the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionally affected the mental wellbeing of women more than men. Women in Canada, and around the world, are reporting higher levels of anxiety, stress and related challenges compared to men. Meanwhile, less is known about the experiences of transgender, non-binary and queer identifying individuals, who are already more likely to experience barriers in accessing health care and other services.

To better understand these issues and to find solutions to these inequalities, 丁香园AV Public Square is hosting a virtual event Thursday, Nov. 19 called 鈥� 鈥� The event will be moderated by 丁香园AV researchers Julia Smith and Kelley Lee, who are co-leading the international.

Funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Smith has been conducting in-depth interviews with essential workers, parents and those socio-economically affected by the COVID-19 response. Preliminary findings have found that the pandemic is taking a particular toll on the mental wellbeing of women at home, in the childcare industry and on the frontlines as healthcare workers. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 not surprising that there are gender disparities related to mental wellness during the pandemic,鈥� said Smith. 鈥淔or example, women are doing the majority of childcare and taking care of their family, and also make up the majority of healthcare workers 鈥� of course they are anxious. 

鈥淏ut that doesn鈥檛 mean these disparities are inevitable. By learning more about how gender inequities contribute to stress and anxiety, we can develop responses to improve mental wellness. For example, what if 鈥� in addition to improving mental health services - we introduced more flexible work arrangements, encourage men to take on more care work or added more paid sick days?鈥�

Smith and Lee will moderate speakers from the Catherine White Holman Wellness Centre, BC Women鈥檚 Health Foundation, Health Initiative for Men, Vancouver Women鈥檚 Health Collective and Trans Care BC. They鈥檒l talk about how the pandemic has affected the people they work with and discuss what鈥檚 needed to provide better health outcomes for everyone.

丁香园AV Public Square online event
Mental Wellness & COVID-19: What鈥檚 Gender Got To Do With It?
Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020
12:00 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. PST
Event details and free registration 

AVAILABLE 丁香园AV EXPERTS

Dr. Julia Smith, University Research Associate, Gender and COVID-19 Project, Faculty of Health Sciences 
604.837.4285 | jhs6@sfu.ca 

CONTACT

Matt Kieltyka,  丁香园AV Communications & Marketing 
236.880.2187 | matt_kieltyka@sfu.ca

丁香园AV 
 |  
778.782.3210

ABOUT SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

As Canada鈥檚 engaged university, 丁香园AV works with communities, organizations and partners to create, share and embrace knowledge that improves life and generates real change. We deliver a world-class education with lifelong value that shapes change-makers, visionaries and problem-solvers. We connect research and innovation to entrepreneurship and industry to deliver sustainable, relevant solutions to today鈥檚 problems. With campuses in British Columbia鈥檚 three largest cities鈥擵ancouver, Burnaby and Surrey鈥敹∠阍癆V has eight faculties that deliver 193 undergraduate degree programs and 127 graduate degree programs to more than 37,000 students. The university now boasts more than 165,000 alumni residing in 143 countries.