EXPLANATIONS FOR EDUCATION GRADIENTS IN DEPRESSION-THE CASE OF KOREA

We examine gender differences in educational gradients in depressive symptoms of married couples and identify what accounts for education gradients for husbands and wives.

We use a nationally representative sample of married couples from the 2006 Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging, which collected information about depressive symptoms and risk factors for both spouses.

For married couples, we find significant education gradients in depressive symptoms for both husbands and wives. Economic resources, physical health, children, and the relationship of spouse explain educational gradients of both husbands and wives. On the other hand, work and organized social activities are important pathways for husbands, but not for wives. In contrast, spouse's educational attainment accounts for wives' educational gradient, but not husbands'.

Education is a strong predictor of depressive symptoms, but the pathways linking education to depressive symptoms differ between men and women.