Psychosocial outcomes of preschool children with a history of preterm birth: a cross-sectional observational study.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted institutional systems and exposed deep-seated social inequalities across Canadian societies. While public health measures such as masking and physical distancing became a dominant feature of Canada’s pandemic response, the crisis also “unmasked” many systemic injustices that disproportionately affected marginalized groups. This study critically examines how the pandemic amplified preexisting structural vulnerabilities and translated them into distinct social justice struggles faced by marginalized groups. The Pandemic-Induced Social Injustice Model (PISIIM) proposed by this study addresses a critical gap in the literature on pandemic-induced inequities by equipping policy makers, social workers, and other stakeholders with a framework to anticipate and mitigate social injustices in future public health crises. Data from Statistics Canada show that social injustices in the Canadian society experienced a significant increase during the pandemic (). About 62% of people from South Asian and Chinese backgrounds experienced discrimination at the onset of the COVID pandemic in Canada. The story was not different in the Black community as about 40% experienced workplace discrimination, when applying for a job or promotion ().