Chungah Kim1, Celine Teo2, Andrew Nielsen2,3, Antony Chum4,5,6. 1. School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada. 2. Department of Applied Health Sciences, Brock University, St Catharines, ON, Canada. 3. MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. 4. School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada. antony.chum@gmail.com. 5. MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. antony.chum@gmail.com. 6. Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. antony.chum@gmail.com.
Abstract
PURPOSE: In 2014, the Korean Government passed the Gender Equality Act, which was accompanied by policies to increase women's participation in the labour force and representation in positions of power in the public and private sectors. While Korea has witnessed modest progress in macro-level gender equality, little is known about the effects of these changes on mental health outcomes. Our study investigated the relationship between regional-level gender equality (as measured by women's economic and political power) and women's depressive symptoms from 2013-18, and whether the effects differed across women from different socioeconomic positions. METHODS: To examine how change over time in political and economic power influences the severity of depressive symptoms, we applied a fixed-effect regression, using a nationally representative sample for women aged 19-64 (n = 9,589) from the Korean Longitudinal Survey of Women and Families (2013-2018, wave 4 to 6) residing across the 16 regions of South Korea. RESULTS: Our study found that increases in women's political and economic power led to moderate reductions in depressive symptoms (-0.25 and -0.23 points in CESD respectively). Sensitivity analyses indicate that economic power is more consistently associated with subsequent reductions in CESD. The effect of economic and political power on depressive symptoms did not differ by women's socioeconomic positions. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that even modest improvements in gender equality were associated with increases in women's mental health. Further progress to ensure gender equality, such as the anti-discrimination legislation, may lead to greater improvements in public mental health.
PURPOSE: In 2014, the Korean Government passed the Gender Equality Act, which was accompanied by policies to increase women's participation in the labour force and representation in positions of power in the public and private sectors. While Korea has witnessed modest progress in macro-level gender equality, little is known about the effects of these changes on mental health outcomes. Our study investigated the relationship between regional-level gender equality (as measured by women's economic and political power) and women's depressive symptoms from 2013-18, and whether the effects differed across women from different socioeconomic positions. METHODS: To examine how change over time in political and economic power influences the severity of depressive symptoms, we applied a fixed-effect regression, using a nationally representative sample for women aged 19-64 (n = 9,589) from the Korean Longitudinal Survey of Women and Families (2013-2018, wave 4 to 6) residing across the 16 regions of South Korea. RESULTS: Our study found that increases in women's political and economic power led to moderate reductions in depressive symptoms (-0.25 and -0.23 points in CESD respectively). Sensitivity analyses indicate that economic power is more consistently associated with subsequent reductions in CESD. The effect of economic and political power on depressive symptoms did not differ by women's socioeconomic positions. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that even modest improvements in gender equality were associated with increases in women's mental health. Further progress to ensure gender equality, such as the anti-discrimination legislation, may lead to greater improvements in public mental health.