"I'm Going to Work, but It Is Survival, Too": A Unique Qualitative Study of Occupational Mental Health and Wellbeing Among Women Sex Workers in Baltimore, Maryland.

Abstract

Objective: The Surgeon General released the Framework for Mental Health and Well-being in the Workplace, a call to attention for industry leaders. In this study, we applied this framework to street-based women sex workers (WSW) to understand their mental health outcomes.

Methods: Fourteen WSW in Baltimore, Maryland, completed structured qualitative interviews to characterize occupational environment in street-based sex work and mental health outcomes.

Results: WSW expressed workplace desires shared by those in the traditional workforce, such as flexibility, sense of belonging, safety and security. Factors like violence, lack of a strong support network, and enduring social stigma were highlighted as occupational barriers to positive mental health.

Conclusions: This study is the first to use the Surgeon General's Framework for Mental Health and Well-being in the Workplace to incorporate the perspectives of street-based WSW.