(PS9-B49) Mental Health in Dual-income, Heterosexual Partnerships During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study examined the mental health of males versus females within dual-earner, heterosexual partnerships working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study also explored whether gender differences in mental health relate to unequal division of labor and/or depend on different levels of child-care commitment (i.e., having no children, having at least one child < 6 years old, and having children all above 7 years old). We hypothesized that: (1) Females would experience higher levels of depression, anxiety, and parental stress relative to males, (2) Working parents would have greater depression and anxiety compared to working non-parents, with the highest levels in mothers and fathers of children < 6 years old, and (3) Females with young children would have relatively high levels of depression, anxiety, and parental stress compared to those with older children and those without children.

Participants (N = 277; 55% male, 85% White, 69% with children) were adults living full-time with a romantic partner and employed full- or part-time, working from home during the pandemic. They were recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk and completed self-report measures of anxiety and depressive symptoms, parental stress, and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Multiple linear regressions were conducted to examine whether household and child-care commitment differentially predicted anxiety, depression, and parenting stress in males and females.

On average, females’ estimated contribution to household chores during the pandemic was 3.6 hours/week (SD = 2.6) per female and male reports. Males’ contribution to chores was 3.2 hours/week (SD = 2.9) per female reports and 3.3 hours/week (SD = 2.7) per male reports. Females’ childcare duties during the pandemic took 5.8 hours/week (SD = 2.6) per female reports and 5.7 hours/week (SD = 2.6) per male reports. Males’ contribution to childcare was 4.7 hours/week (SD = 2.5) according to males and 4.9 hours/week (SD = 3.0) according to females. Males perceived their effort expended on chores and childcare equal to that expended by females (48%-49.9%), while females perceived their effort expended on chores and childcare to be greater than that expended by males (61.4%). Both genders perceived a fair division of labor.

Regression models showed that females without children reported greater anxiety than males without children (b = 1.95, p < 0.05). Females’ level of anxiety was relatively constant across parenting statuses. Males with children < 6 years of age experienced greater anxiety symptoms than did males without children (b = 2.57, p < 0.05). Males with children under 6 years old who reported doing more household chores reported greater levels of anxiety (b = 4.17, p < 0.1), depression (b = 6.23, p < 0.05), and general distress (b = 10.20, p < 0.05) compared to males without children and compared to females in the same situation.

Acceptance of gender role disparities may protect females against anxiety and depression during the pandemic but could contribute to ongoing gender inequality, potentially impacting mental health in the long term. Findings highlight factors that clinicians and policymakers should consider in addressing the mental health burden of the pandemic on the workforce.