Structural vulnerability and mental health of visible minority non-health essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Calgary, Canada
7 affiliations
- 1Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB Canada
- 2Department of Humanities, Mount Royal University, Calgary, AB Canada
- 3Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB Canada
- 4MacEwan University, Edmonton, Canada
- 5Community Scholar and Citizen Researcher, Calgary, Canada
- 6Alberta International Medical Graduates Association (AIMGA), Calgary, AB Canada
- 7Department of Family Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, HSC G012, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1 Canada
Abstract
Background: Non-health essential workers (NHEWs), including those in food processing, grocery retail, and transportation, faced high occupational exposure during the COVID-19 pandemic with fewer protections than healthcare workers. In Canada, visible minorities are disproportionately represented in these sectors. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and determinants of stress, anxiety, and depression among VM-NHEWs in Calgary, Canada.
Methods: Data were derived from a broader community-engaged survey of essential workers in Calgary. The analysis was restricted to 446 VM-NHEWs to specifically examine the experiences of this distinct workforce. Participants completed a survey including the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7). Multivariable logistic regression models were employed to identify associations between sociodemographic factors, employment conditions, and mental health outcomes.
Results: Moderate-to-high stress affected 85.6% of participants, while 37.6% and 31.1% screened positive for moderate-to-severe depression and anxiety, respectively. Female sex and employment disruption were independently associated with higher odds of depression, while living in multi-person households was strongly protective against both anxiety and depression.
Conclusion: VM-NHEWs experienced substantial mental health burden during the pandemic, driven by intersecting structural vulnerabilities. Addressing employment precarity and delivering culturally safe mental health supports are critical for future pandemic preparedness.
Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-026-28881-1.
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BibTeX
@article{chowdhury2026structural,
title = {{Structural vulnerability and mental health of visible minority non-health essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Calgary, Canada}},
author = {Nashit Chowdhury and Ranjan Datta and Christine A. Walsh and Hongmei Tong and Didem Erman and Nafiza Rahman and Deidre Lake and Tanvir Chowdhury Turin},
journal = {BMC Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s12889-026-28881-1},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-026-28881-1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Structural vulnerability and mental health of visible minority non-health essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Calgary, Canada
AU - Nashit Chowdhury
AU - Ranjan Datta
AU - Christine A. Walsh
AU - Hongmei Tong
AU - Didem Erman
AU - Nafiza Rahman
AU - Deidre Lake
AU - Tanvir Chowdhury Turin
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/11
JO - BMC Public Health
DO - 10.1186/s12889-026-28881-1
UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-026-28881-1
AB - Background: Non-health essential workers (NHEWs), including those in food processing, grocery retail, and transportation, faced high occupational exposure during the COVID-19 pandemic with fewer protections than healthcare workers. In Canada, visible minorities are disproportionately represented in these sectors. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and determinants of stress, anxiety, and depression among VM-NHEWs in Calgary, Canada. Methods: Data were derived from a broader community-engaged survey of essential workers in Calgary. The analysis was restricted to 446 VM-NHEWs to specifically examine the experiences of this distinct workforce. Participants completed a survey including the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7). Multivariable logistic regression models were employed to identify associations between sociodemographic factors, employment conditions, and mental health outcomes. Results: Moderate-to-high stress affected 85.6% of participants, while 37.6% and 31.1% screened positive for moderate-to-severe depression and anxiety, respectively. Female sex and employment disruption were independently associated with higher odds of depression, while living in multi-person households was strongly protective against both anxiety and depression. Conclusion: VM-NHEWs experienced substantial mental health burden during the pandemic, driven by intersecting structural vulnerabilities. Addressing employment precarity and delivering culturally safe mental health supports are critical for future pandemic preparedness. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-026-28881-1.
SN - 1471-2458
ER -