Mental health of female sex workers in the COVID-19 pandemic: stressors and coping strategies

Couto, Pablo Luiz Santos; Porcino, Carle; Pereira, Samantha Souza da Costa; Gomes, Antônio Marcos Tosoli; França, Luiz Carlos Moraes; Vilela, Alba Benemérita Alves

doi:10.1590/1413-81232022279.16462021en

Cited by 2 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 20 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Singer et al (2022) also describe the use of prayer as a way of coping, with participants in this study highlighting how praying helped them to maintain psychological well-being and peacefulness. As discussed in the previous sub-section ("Impact of COVID-19 on well-being and mental health") some sex workers increased their use of alcohol and/or drugs as a negative coping strategy (Callander et al, 2022;Couto et al, 2022;Lahav-Raz et al, 2021;Nyabeze et al, 2022;Wang et al, 2022).…”

Section: Coping Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Sex workers described how the pandemic negatively affected their well-being, reporting that they struggled with feeling anxious (Burgos & Del Pino, 2021;Couto et al, 2022;Lahav-Raz et al, 2021;Leyva-Moral et al, 2023;Rogers et al, 2021;Wang et al, 2022); depression (Laikram & Pathak, 2021;Leyva-Moral et al, 2023;Rogers et al, 2021;Wang et al, 2022); emotional flooding (Lahav-Raz et al, 2021); sadness (Burgos & Del Pino, 2021;Leyva-Moral et al, 2023); difficulties sleeping (Couto et al, 2022;Lahav-Raz et al, 2021); fear (Couto et al, 2022;Lahav-Raz et al, 2021;Leyva-Moral et al, 2023); loneliness (Burgos & Del Pino, 2021;Lahav-Raz et al, 2021;Leyva-Moral et al, 2023;Wang et al, 2022); irritability (Couto et al, 2022); aggression (Lahav-Raz et al, 2021); post-traumatic symptoms (Lahav-Raz et al, 2021); flashbacks (Lahav-Raz et al, 2021); anguish and despair (Burgos & Del Pino, 2021;Leyva-Moral et al, 2023); psychotic symptoms such as delusions and paranoia (Rogers et al, 2021); and uncertainty over the future (Couto et al, 2022;Leyva-Moral et al, 2023;.…”

Section: Impact Of Covid-19 On Well-being and Mental Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Participants also reported that the pandemic exacerbated existing mental health problems (Callander et al, 2022) and negatively affected the use of substances such as alcohol and drugs (Callander et al, 2022;Couto et al, 2022;Lahav-Raz et al, 2021;Nyabeze et al, 2022;Wang et al, 2022). However, one study from the USA (Rogers et al, 2021) found that while many reported increased substance use, an equal number reported decreased substance use.…”

Section: Impact Of Covid-19 On Well-being and Mental Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One way of coping with the negative impacts of the pandemic was humor: two studies which explored sex workers' social media posts found that they frequently used jokes to resist the seriousness of COVID-19 (Callander et al, 2020a) and used sarcasm, satire and irony as a way of coping (Al-Rawi & Zemenchik, 2022). Couto et al's (2022) study from Brazil revealed a number of positive coping strategies, including focusing on the problem, reframing and regulating emotions and "changing the meanings of the pandemic" by using the time to start new hobbies and focus on positive thinking, and drawing strength from support networks and social support. Leyva-Moral et al (2023) noted some similar coping strategies in Spain, such as positive thinking (maintaining hope about returning to normality) and social support via phone and video calls with loved ones.…”

Section: Coping Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Leyva-Moral et al (2023) noted some similar coping strategies in Spain, such as positive thinking (maintaining hope about returning to normality) and social support via phone and video calls with loved ones. Religiosity was another way of coping : Couto et al (2022) describe how participants in Brazil searched for religion and spirituality during the pandemic, and Singer et al (2022) describe how God and religion provided "guidance and affirmation" for sex workers in the USA during the pandemic, providing them with a foundation of support. Singer et al (2022) also describe the use of prayer as a way of coping, with participants in this study highlighting how praying helped them to maintain psychological well-being and peacefulness.…”

Section: Coping Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Struggling, Forgotten, and Under Pressure: A Scoping Review of Experiences of Sex Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly affected physical, mental, and economic well-being across the globe and has disproportionately affected certain vulnerable groups. This paper provides a scoping review of literature on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sex workers, published between December 2019 and December 2022. Six databases were systematically searched, identifying 1009 citations; 63 studies were included in the review. Thematic analysis revealed eight main themes: financial issues; exposure to harm; alternate ways of working; COVID-19 knowledge, protective behaviors, fear, and risk; well-being, mental health, and coping; access to support; access to health care; and the impact of COVID-19 on research with sex workers. COVID-associated restrictions led to reduced work and income, leaving many sex workers struggling to cover basic needs; additionally, government protections excluded those working in the informal economy. Fearing the loss of their already reduced number of clients, many felt compelled to compromise both prices and protective measures. Although some engaged in online sex work, this raised concerns about visibility and was impossible for those without technological access or skills. Many feared COVID-19, but felt pressure to continue working, often with clients who refused to wear masks or share exposure history. Other negative impacts on well-being related to the pandemic included reduced access to financial support or health care. Marginalized populations (and especially those in professions which require close contact like sex workers) need further support and capacity-building within the community to recover from the impact of COVID-19.

show abstract

Section: Coping Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Impact Of Covid-19 On Well-being and Mental Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Impact Of Covid-19 On Well-being and Mental Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Coping Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Coping Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Struggling, Forgotten, and Under Pressure: A Scoping Review of Experiences of Sex Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic on women’s HIV harm reduction centers: a mixed-methods study

Rahmani,

Janatolmakan,

Rezaei

et al. 2024

Harm Reduct J

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has posed significant challenges to nations worldwide, affecting various sectors of society. Women’s HIV harm reduction centers, which provide critical services, have also been affected by these difficulties. This study aimed to examine the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic on the services offered by women’s HIV harm reduction centers from the perspective of clients. Methods A convergent mixed-method design was utilized to gain in-depth insights into the challenges of COVID-19 on the services provided by women’s HIV harm reduction centers, counseling centers, and night shelters that cater to women at risk, such as drug users, sex workers, and the homeless population, in three provinces (Tehran, Khuzestan, and Kermanshah) in Iran. The study was conducted from January to May 2023. The quantitative aspect of the study employed a cross-sectional method with a sample size of 430 individuals. A researcher-developed questionnaire was used to assess a range of services. The qualitative part of the study involved traditional content analysis and included 32 individual interviews. The integration of qualitative and quantitative results was performed during the interpretation phase to provide a comprehensive understanding of the challenges of COVID-19 on women’s HIV harm reduction centers. Results In the quantitative phase, the mean age of women was 39.0 ± 10.2 years. 165 women reported a history of COVID-19, which accounts for 38.4% of the total. More than half of them (n = 102, 61.8%) recovering at home. The majority of women (n = 365, 84.9%) mentioned receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. COVID-19 diagnostic tests were conducted for 74.2% (n = 319) of women. Women expressed higher satisfaction with the services (HIV prevention services, and accommodation services) before the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the satisfaction during the pandemic. The qualitative analysis identified emerging challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic in two categories: personal challenges and mismanagement of services, comprising nineteen subcategories. Conclusion The findings of this study highlight the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the services provided by women’s HIV harm reduction centers, in contrast to the pre-pandemic period. To mitigate these negative effects, it is crucial to implement preventive measures and practical solutions. This may involve addressing the personal and management challenges of the centers.

show abstract

Mental health of female sex workers in the COVID-19 pandemic: stressors and coping strategies

Cited by 2 publications

References 20 publications

Struggling, Forgotten, and Under Pressure: A Scoping Review of Experiences of Sex Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Struggling, Forgotten, and Under Pressure: A Scoping Review of Experiences of Sex Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic on women’s HIV harm reduction centers: a mixed-methods study

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About