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Welfare State Regimes, Gender, and Depression: A Multilevel Analysis of Middle and High Income Countries

Author

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  • Haejoo Chung

    (Department of Health Care Management, Korea University, Seoul 136-703, Korea)

  • Edwin Ng

    (Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1P8, Canada)

  • Selahadin Ibrahim

    (Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1P8, Canada
    Institute for Work & Health, Toronto, ON M5G 2E9, Canada)

  • Björn Karlsson

    (Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 405 30, Sweden)

  • Joan Benach

    (Health Inequalities Research Group (GREDS), Employment Conditions Network (EMCONET), University of Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona 08003, Spain)

  • Albert Espelt

    (Public Health Agency of Barcelona (ASPB), Barcelona 08023, Spain
    CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Barcelona 08036, Spain)

  • Carles Muntaner

    (Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1P8, Canada
    Institute for Work & Health, Toronto, ON M5G 2E9, Canada
    Health Inequalities Research Group (GREDS), Employment Conditions Network (EMCONET), University of Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona 08003, Spain
    Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1P8, Canada)

Abstract

Using the 2002 World Health Survey, we examine the association between welfare state regimes, gender and mental health among 26 countries classified into seven distinct regimes: Conservative, Southeast Asian, Eastern European, Latin American, Liberal, Southern/Ex-dictatorship, and Social Democratic. A two-level hierarchical model found that the odds of experiencing a brief depressive episode in the last 12 months was significantly higher for Southern/Ex- dictatorship countries than for Southeast Asian (odds ratio (OR) = 0.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.05–0.27) and Eastern European (OR = 0.36, 95% CI 0.22–0.58) regimes after controlling for gender, age, education, marital status, and economic development. In adjusted interaction models, compared to Southern/Ex-dictatorship males (reference category), the odds ratios of depression were significantly lower among Southeast Asian males (OR = 0.16, 95% CI 0.08–0.34) and females (OR = 0.23, 95% CI 0.10–0.53) and Eastern European males (OR = 0.41, 95% CI 0.26–0.63) and significantly higher among females in Liberal (OR = 2.00, 95% CI 1.14–3.49) and Southern (OR = 2.42, 95% CI 1.86–3.15) regimes. Our results highlight the importance of incorporating middle-income countries into comparative welfare regime research and testing for interactions between welfare regimes and gender on mental health.

Suggested Citation

  • Haejoo Chung & Edwin Ng & Selahadin Ibrahim & Björn Karlsson & Joan Benach & Albert Espelt & Carles Muntaner, 2013. "Welfare State Regimes, Gender, and Depression: A Multilevel Analysis of Middle and High Income Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-18, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:10:y:2013:i:4:p:1324-1341:d:24647
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    References listed on IDEAS

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