Gender inequalities and depression

More gender-equal societies promote better mental health among both men and women and reduce the gender gap in depressive symptom

Gender and depression in Europe : analyzing gender differences in depression from a cross-national comparative perspective

A macro-sociological comparative study on gender differences in depression in Europ

Gender differences in the ICT profile of University students : a quantitative analysis

This study responds to a call for research on how gender differences emerge in young generations of computer users. A large-scale survey involving 1138 university students in Flanders (Belgium) was conducted to examine the relationship between gender, computer access, attitudes, and uses in both learning and everyday activities of university students. The results show that women have a less positive attitude towards computers in general. However, their attitude towards computers for educational purposes does not differ from men’s. In the same way, being female is negatively related to computer use for leisure activities, but no relationship was found between gender and study-related computer use. Based on the results, it could be argued that computer attitudes are context-dependent constructs and that when dealing with gender differences, it is essential to take into account the context-specific nature of computer attitudes and uses

Divorce and the multidimensionality of men and women's mental health: the role of social-relational and socio-economic conditions

Research consistently reveals that the divorced generally face more mental health problems than the married. Less attention however has been paid to positive mental health indicators. Insight in these however may help policy makers and care providers to see both the broader picture and stimulate active coping. Using data from the European Social Survey (2006–2007), differences in both feelings of depression, and in feelings of self-esteem, autonomy, and competence between the married (N = 14,072) and divorced (N = 4,304) are estimated for women and men separately. Drawing on stress and coping theories, we map how specific social-relational and socio-economic conditions relate. Analyses reveal that divorce is related not only to more feelings of depression, but also to lower levels of self-esteem and competence. Difference scores in mental health based on marital status are also found to differ significantly between men and women for competence, with the difference being more pronounced in men. Additionally, social-relational and socio-economic conditions explain much of the gap in depression scores – and to a lesser extent, in self-esteem and competence scores – between the married and divorced. Finally, some interesting gender differences were found in how social-relational and socio-economic conditions relate to mental health when divorced, with women especially seeming to benefit from advantageous socio-economic conditions

Pregnant women's fear of childbirth in midwife- and obstetrician-led care in Belgium and the Netherlands: test of the medicalization hypothesis

Fear of childbirth has gained importance in the context of increasing medicalization of childbirth. Belgian and Dutch societies are very similar but differ with regard to the organization of maternity care. The Dutch have a high percentage of home births and low medical intervention rates. In contrast, home births in Belgium are rarer, and the medical model is more widely used. By comparing the Belgian and Dutch maternity care models, the association between fear of childbirth and medicalization can be explored. For this study an antenatal questionnaire was completed by 833 women at 30 weeks of pregnancy. Fear of childbirth was measured by a shortened Dutch version of the Childbirth Attitudes Questionnaire. A four-dimensional model with baby-related, pain and injuries-related, general and personal control-related, and medical interventions and hospital care-related fear, fitted well in both countries. Multiple regression analysis showed no country differences, except that Belgian women in midwife-led care were more fearful of medical interventions and hospital care than the Dutch. For the other dimensions, both Belgian and Dutch women receiving midwifery care reported less fear compared to those in obstetric antenatal care. Hence, irrespective of the maternity care model, antenatal care providers are crucial in preventing fear of childbirth