COVID-19: A poverty-aware perspective

Preliminary evidence indicates that Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) affects people differently along social axes, among which socioeconomic status is key. This study used mixed methods to add data from Israel to this developing body of knowledge. Using closed questions, the study compared 126 people living in poverty with 147 people not living in poverty in terms of their economic and employment status, need for assistance, and mental distress. In addition, in order to better understand the experiences of poverty, open questions regarding the effect of COVID-19 on the participants' lives and their means of coping with the pandemic were employed. The study was conducted in May 2020, just after the first lockdown, through online media and through social workers who personally went to disadvantaged neighborhoods to reach out to participants who are vulnerable to digital illiteracy. The analysis points to major differences between the groups, with people in poverty suffering more in terms of their economic and employment situation and mental distress. In addition, we found that people in poverty needed and received more support. The qualitative analysis indicates the specificities of the severe nature of the intersection of poverty and the pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).