Wage gap could explain why women are more likely to be anxious and depressed than men

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-01/cums-wgc010416.php

Public Release: 5-Jan-2016
Wage gap could explain why women are more likely to be anxious and depressed than men
Women may internalize wage gap as reflective of perceived inferior merit
Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health

The odds of major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder were markedly greater among women who earned less than their male counterparts, with whom they were matched on education and years of experience, according to new research conducted at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. Results of the study are online in the journal Social Science & Medicine.

The odds that an American woman was diagnosed with depression in the past year are nearly twice that of men. However, this disparity looks very different when accounting for the wage gap: Among women whose income was lower than their male counterparts, the odds of major depression were nearly 2.5 times higher than men; but among women whose income equaled or exceeded their male counterparts, their odds of depression were no different than men.

Results were similar for generalized anxiety disorder. Overall, women's odds of past-year axiety were more than 2.5 times higher than men's. Where women's incomes were lower than their male counterparts, their odds of anxiety disorder were more than four times higher. For women whose income equaled or exceeded their male counterparts, their odds of anxiety disorder were greatly decreased.

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