Violence experienced by women, their mental health status, and determinants in favelas under the pandemic COVID-19 in Brazil.

Abstract

Background: Women in situations of vulnerability experience situations of violence aggravated by their social condition and which generate mental health problems, and these conditions have been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: This study aims to scrutinize the frequency of violence against women and their mental health status within favelas during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, exploring how the pandemic may have impacted these issues and identifying factors that contribute to these experiences.

Methods: It is a cross-sectional and quantitative study in which data were obtained through the application of a questionnaire adapted and validated for the Brazilian context. The sample consisted of Brazilian women over 18 years old, who lived lived in favelas in the capital cities of Brazilian states. Sampling was carried out using a sequential approach, including participants as they were located and agreed to take part in the study. Descriptive analyses (absolute and relative frequency) were carried out to characterize the profile of the people who answered the questionnaire and logistic regression to identify the factors associated with mental health status and violence against women.

Results: A total of 766 women living in favelas answered the questionnaire. The majority identified themselves as black/brown (75.8%), single, separated, or widowed (51.7%), had completed high school (43.1%), worked informally (47.1%) and did not receive government assistance (57.3%). Black/brown women (OR: 1,05; IC95% 4,55 - 2,53) who were married (OR: 2,45; IC95% 1,18 - 5,19) and exposed to drug trafficking (OR: 3,23; IC95% 1,36 - 7,97) were more likely to experience conjugal violence during the pandemic. In addition, women with informal employment (OR: 3,26; IC95%: 1,24 - 9,55) and complete higher education (OR: 4,47; IC95%: 1,68 - 1,21), were more likely to consider their mental health as precarious during the pandemic period.

Conclusions: The pandemic has exacerbated the social vulnerability of these women, highlighting the need to incorporate a gender perspective into the formulation of public policies during health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.