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Publication · Journal of Advanced Nursing · 2023

Social determinants of mental health during COVID-19 among adults in California

Tolentino, D. A., & Ajuwon, M. (2023).

Mental healthCOVID-19Survey
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The big idea

Social conditions, not just individual choices, were associated with Californians’ mental health during the early pandemic.

Who
Adults across California
How
Cross-sectional analysis of the 2020 California Health Interview Survey
What we learned
Social conditions were associated with mental health in the early pandemic

In plain language

We looked at how everyday life circumstances, such as income, housing, and access to care, were associated with Californians’ mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

About this study

Using the 2020 California Health Interview Survey, one of the largest state health surveys, this study examined how structural and intermediary social determinants of health were associated with adults’ mental health during the early phase of COVID-19.

The findings highlight upstream social factors associated with mental health and the importance of addressing them, not just individual behaviors.

Key themes

1

Structural factors

Conditions like income and environment are associated with mental health.

2

Intermediary factors

Daily circumstances and resources matter too.

3

Who was most affected

Highlights the groups the pandemic weighed on most, and why.