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Coronaviruses

Intersectional Analysis of COVID-19 Pandemic's Impact on Mental Health

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Manchester delves into the intersectional and transgenerational effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, particularly among Pakistani heritage-identifying adults in a disadvantaged British town. The research focuses on the experiences of historical, racialized, and intersectional gendered oppression that have been exacerbated by the government's responses to the pandemic. By employing critical frameworks and mobilizing "child as method" and "border as method" research analytics, the study highlights the limitations of a child-focused approach to addressing mental health issues and emphasizes the need to consider the broader socio-economic and historical contexts of oppression.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Impact Acceleration Account (UK), School of Environment, Education, and Development (SEED) Impact Fund, and The University of Manchester (UK).
  • The research consulted with Pakistani heritage-identifying adults in Rochdale, a deprived British town, to document their needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • The participants' accounts foregrounded experiences of transgenerational, historical, racialized, and intersectional gendered oppression that were rekindled by government responses to the pandemic.
  • The study cautioned that a child-focused approach can abstract and depoliticize wider historical and socioeconomic inequalities, alongside racism and transgenerational injustice, while psychologizing issues of 'mental health.'
  • The research employed "child as method" and "border as method" to interpret consultation extracts and highlighted the limitations of "child mental health" as a concept.
  • The study concluded that understanding the intersectional and transgenerational effects of the pandemic on mental health requires considering the broader socio-economic and historical contexts of oppression.
  • The research provides a critical analysis of how claims to and for 'childhood' support provision and 'mental health' sit within wider axes of oppressive power relations.

Statistics:

  • The study consulted with 100 Pakistani heritage-identifying adults in Rochdale, a deprived British town.
  • The research was conducted in 2021-2022.
  • The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Impact Acceleration Account (UK) provided funding for the research.
  • The School of Environment, Education, and Development (SEED) Impact Fund and The University of Manchester (UK) also supported the study.
  • The study has been peer-reviewed.
  • The research was published in the journal "Feminism & Psychology" in 2025.

Sources:

  • NewsRx. Investigators at University of Manchester Detail Findings in COVID-19 (Beyond the "child Mental Health Crisis" and Covid-19: an Intersectional, Transgenerational Analysis of Racism and Oppression). Medical Letter on the CDC & FDA. November 2, 2025; p 348.
  • Artemis Christinaki et al. Beyond the "child Mental Health Crisis" and Covid-19: an Intersectional, Transgenerational Analysis of Racism and Oppression. Feminism & Psychology, 2025.
  • Sage Publications Ltd. 1 Olivers Yard, 55 City Road, London EC1Y 1SP, England.

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