Gender Equality, Family Policy and the Convergence of the Gender Gap in Depression

• In Event: 2266 - Family Section Roundtables (1 hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: 3. Family, Relationships, and Mental Health

Abstract

Using survey data taken from two rounds (2006 and 2012) of the European Social Survey (ESS) (N=54, 141) combined with national level statistics from various sources, preliminary research suggested by this paper examines whether welfare state investment in family policy (as a %GDP) reduces the gender gap in depression. Previous findings of Hopcroft and McLaughlin (2012) suggest that the gender gap in depression is greater where gender equality is highest due to the impact of children on depression. Family policy, which is focused on creating greater gender equality through diminishing the disruptions of labor force participation for women through access to programs such as child care, provides a more succinct test of this claim. Contrary to previous findings, preliminary findings suggest that welfare state investment in family policy significantly reduces the gender gap in depression. Country-level mechanisms such as family policy is used to explain the apparent discrepancy in the literature.

Author

• Matthew James Parbst, University of Toronto