During COVID-19, women in their 30s had twice the suicidal impulses compared to men, why?

Increased Childcare Burden for Married Women with Preschool Children
Intensified Conflict Due to Work-Family Balance

During the COVID-19 pandemic period of 2020-2021, women in their 30s who experienced suicidal impulses were found to be twice as many as men of the same age group.

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Women in Their 30s Felt 'Depression and Suicidal Impulses' Twice as Much as Men in Their 30s... The Cause is 'Economic Changes'

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On the 24th, the Korean Women's Development Institute revealed this in a report titled "Status of Women's Mental Health from a Gender Perspective and Policy Improvement Measures after the COVID-19 Outbreak." A survey was conducted on a total of 1,200 adults, including 500 men and 700 women. The results showed that during the COVID-19 pandemic period (2020-2021), 32.4% of women in their 30s experienced suicidal impulses, the highest among all age groups for both men and women. In contrast, men in their 30s showed a rate of 17.9%, about half that of women.

Across all age groups, the proportion of men (18.2%) and women (18.7%) who experienced suicidal impulses was similar, but a notable difference appeared specifically in the 30s age group. By age group, women showed rates in the order of 30s, 20s (23.5%), 40s (21.6%), 50s (14.7%), and 60s (11.5%), while men showed 20s (31.0%), 40s (19.1%), 30s, 50s (15.8%), and 60s (11.9%).

Additionally, in terms of experiencing depression?defined as feeling sad or hopeless for two consecutive weeks or more in the past year to the extent that daily life was affected?the rate for women in their 30s was the highest across all groups at 65.7%. Men in their 30s had the lowest rate at 35.9%. The overall depression experience rates were 44.0% for men and 57.4% for women.

Among 222 individuals who thought about or attempted suicide during COVID-19, the biggest reason for considering extreme measures (multiple responses allowed) for both men and women was "economic changes" (men 48.4%, women 56.5%). For men and women in their 30s, the rates were 64.3% and 66.7%, respectively.

Utilization Rate of Government Mental Health Support Programs Declines... "Urgent Need to Develop Mental Health Services That Do Not Worry About Social Stigma"

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However, more than 80% of these individuals were reluctant to use government mental health support programs such as suicide prevention centers, even if they were aware of them, due to concerns about others' perceptions. Among 664 people who recognized the existence of government-operated mental health support programs such as community centers, public health centers' mental health welfare centers, and suicide prevention centers, only 17.9% of men and 16.1% of women actually used these services. Especially during the COVID-19 period, the usage rates were only 9.1% for men and 6.9% for women, falling below 10%.

The main reason for deciding not to receive support from government-operated institutions was "no particular mental difficulties such as depression or suicidal impulses" for both men (37.2%) and women (27.5%). The second reason for men was "not knowing well what kind of help is available" (21.9%). In contrast, women cited "feeling burdened by others' views" (20.1%), which is more than twice that of men (9.5%).

The research team explained, "Stress and depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 period were particularly high among women in their 30s." They attributed this to the increased burden of childcare for preschool children among married women, which intensified conflicts in balancing work and family life. They added, "There were significantly more women than men who did not receive support from government mental health support centers due to concerns about others' views." They urged, "It is urgent to develop mental health services that women can use without worrying about social stigma."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.