Research Paper
Depression during the COVID-19 pandemic amongst residents of homeless shelters in France

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadr.2021.100243Get rights and content
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open access

Highlights

  • Residents of homeless shelters during the spring of 2020 showed high rates of depression, with 30% presenting moderate-severe symptoms.

  • Single, chronically ill, food insecure young women were at greatest risk for depression.

  • This article provides evidence in favour for increased mental health support within homeless populations following the covid-19 pandemic, as the associated increase in financial and housing insecurity are likely to exacerbate mental illness amongst this group.

Abstract

Background

Accumulating evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected global mental health and well-being. However, the impact amongst homeless persons has not been fully evaluated. The ECHO study reports factors associated with depression amongst the homeless population living in shelters in France during the spring of 2020.

Methods

Interview data were collected from 527 participants living in temporary and/or emergency accommodation following France's first lockdown (02/05/20 – 07/06/20), in the metropolitan regions of Paris (74%), Lyon (19%) and Strasbourg (7%). Interviews were conducted in French, English, or with interpreters (33% of participants, ∼20 languages). Presence of depression was ascertained using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9).

Results

Amongst ECHO study participants, 30% had symptoms of moderate to severe depression (PHQ-9 ≥ 10). Multivariate analysis revealed depression to be associated with being female (aOR: 2.15; CI: 1.26–3.69), single (aOR: 1.60; CI: 1.01–2.52), chronically ill (aOR: 2.32; CI: 1.43: 3.78), facing food insecurity (aOR: 2.12; CI: 1.40–3.22) and participants’ region of origin. Persons born African and Eastern Mediterranean regions showed higher levels of depression (30–33% of participants) than those migrating from other European countries (14%). Reduced rates of depression were observed amongst participants aged 30–49 (aOR: 0.60; CI: 0.38–0.95) and over 50 (aOR: 0.28; CI: 0.13–0.64), compared to 18–29-year-olds.

Limitations

These data are cross-sectional, only providing information on a given moment in time.

Conclusions

Our results indicate high levels of depression amongst homeless persons during the COVID-19 pandemic. Predicted future instability and economic repercussions could particularly impact the mental health of this vulnerable group.

Keywords

Depression
Mental health
COVID-19
Homeless
Migrant
France

Cited by (0)

1

ECHO group: Lionel Pourtau, Pierre Anquetil, Léa Balage, Estelle Dussert, Betty Girard, Laure Luyinga Nzuzi, Hermine Metias, Nathalie Oprescu, Philippe Rebouffat-Roux (Habitat et Humanisme), Anahaid Armenian, Marianne Auffret, Perrine Leclerc (Association Aurore), Faouzi Bertrand (Groupe SOS), Mourad Bouderbal (Croix Rouge Française), Antoine Denis (SIAO 67), Christelle Witczak (Empreintes Sud 77), François Fortin (La Rose des Vents).

2

The ECHO study group