生命历程中的性别化社会角色与心理健康

Gendered Social Roles and Mental Health in Life Course

心理健康是健康资本和生活质量的重要方面,其突出的性别差异已成为当前推进健康中国建设和实现男女平等的重要研究议题。文章从性别化社会角色与生命历程的视角出发,利用2012~2020年中国家庭追踪调查数据考察了中国成年人心理健康的性别差异及其变化轨迹,探讨了性别角色在其中的影响。研究发现,女性的心理健康状况显著较差,这一健康劣势在很大程度上与工作和婚姻对两性心理健康的回报不同有关。在已婚人群中,性别化的家务劳动分工对心理健康的性别差异提供了重要解释:在工作和家庭角色叠加的情形下,平衡工作与妻职、母职的困境明显增加了已婚女性的抑郁症状得分。两性心理健康的差异贯穿整个成年期,女性的心理健康劣势持续累积,在老年期仍在不断强化。

Mental health is an important element of public health capital and individuals'life quality.The prominent gender gap in mental health invites systematic research.This study investigates the gender inequality in mental health using the China Family Panel Studies(CFPS)conducted in 2012,2016,2018,and 2020.Results suggest that female adults are significantly disadvantaged in mental health in China,which is largely attributable to the gendered roles of employment and marriage.Among married adults,the unequal labor division of household chores explains to a large extent the gender dfference in mental health.The dilemma of balancing work with family roles as wife and mother significantly increases the depression of married women under the situation of overlapping work and family roles.Moreover,gender inequality in mental health shows a steady enlargement throughout life course,and women's disadvantage in mental health is further reinforced by the persistent disadvantage cumulation in old age.