Multidimensional gender discrimination in workplace and depressive symptoms

Area of Science:

• Social Epidemiology
• Occupational Health
• Mental Health Research

Background:

• Discrimination is linked to adverse health outcomes, yet workplace gender discrimination's mental health impact remains understudied.
• Understanding these risks is crucial for developing targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between workplace gender discrimination and depressive symptoms among employed women in South Korea.
• To explore age-related differences in this association.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of the 6th wave (2016) Korean Longitudinal Survey of Women and Family (KLoWF) dataset.
• Inclusion of 2,339 wage-earning women.
• Assessment of depressive symptoms using the 10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale.
• Multivariate logistic regression models, including age-stratified analyses, adjusted for socio-demographic factors.

Main Results:

• Women experiencing workplace gender discrimination showed significantly higher odds of depressive symptoms across various types (hiring, promotion, wages, firing).
• This association was consistent for younger women (under 40) regarding hiring, promotion, wages, and firing.
• The association was inconsistent among older women (above 40).

Conclusions:

• Workplace gender discrimination is a significant risk factor for depressive symptoms in employed women, independent of socio-demographic factors.
• Women under 40 are particularly susceptible to the mental health consequences of workplace gender discrimination.