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Caste and COVID‐19: Psychosocial disparities amongst rural Indian women during the coronavirus pandemic
Author(s) -
Jiwani Zishan,
Raval Vaishali V.,
Steele Miriam,
Goldberg Simon B.
Publication year - 2023
Publication title -
journal of social issues
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.618
H-Index - 122
eISSN - 1540-4560
pISSN - 0022-4537
DOI - 10.1111/josi.12532
Subject(s) - caste , loneliness , pandemic , mental health , psychosocial , demography , psychology , intersectionality , covid-19 , gerontology , medicine , sociology , social psychology , psychiatry , gender studies , political science , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty) , law
The COVID‐19 pandemic has exacerbated preexisting mental health disparities. In India, marginalization based on caste membership, gender, and rural residence are critical determinants of inequity across the lifespan. Guided by the theoretical frameworks of minority stress and intersectionality, this study examined caste‐based disparities in fear of coronavirus (FOC), mental health symptoms, and perceived loneliness amongst rural women in north India during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Participants ( N = 316) completed self‐report measures and were classified into three groups based on their responses: General caste (GC, n = 124), other backward castes (OBC, n = 122), and scheduled caste or tribe (SC/ST, n = 71). Using a three‐way ANOVA and Tukey t ‐tests, women in SC/ST and OBC groups reported greater FOC (OBC d = .37; SC/ST d = .40) and greater mental health symptoms (OBC d = .58; SC/ST d = .43) relative to the GC group. OBC, but not SC/ST, group also reported higher perceived loneliness ( d = .32). The results were consistent after adjusting for demographic variables such as wealth and highlight caste as an important social determinant for well‐being during the COVID‐19 pandemic amongst rural Indian women.