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Gender, social relations and mental health: prospective findings from an occupational cohort (Whitehall II study)

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  • Fuhrer, R.
  • Stansfeld, S. A.
  • Chemali, J.
  • Shipley, M. J.

Abstract

Gender differences in social support tend to suggest that women have larger social networks and both give and receive more support than men. Nevertheless, although social support has been identified as protective of mental health, women have higher rates of psychological distress than men. We examine the prospective association between social support and psychological distress by gender in a cohort study of middle aged British Civil Servants, the Whitehall II study. In this sample we found that women have a larger number of close persons than men although men have larger social networks. We also found that the effects of marital status, social support within and outside the workplace and social networks on subsequent occurrence of psychological distress were similar for men and women independently of baseline mental health status.

Suggested Citation

  • Fuhrer, R. & Stansfeld, S. A. & Chemali, J. & Shipley, M. J., 1999. "Gender, social relations and mental health: prospective findings from an occupational cohort (Whitehall II study)," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 77-87, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:48:y:1999:i:1:p:77-87
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Kobayashi, Tomoko & Kawachi, Ichiro & Iwase, Toshihide & Suzuki, Etsuji & Takao, Soshi, 2013. "Individual-level social capital and self-rated health in Japan: An application of the Resource Generator," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 32-37.
    2. Shor, Eran & Roelfs, David J., 2015. "Social contact frequency and all-cause mortality: A meta-analysis and meta-regression," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 76-86.
    3. Anne-Lise Biotteau & Carole Bonnet & Emmanuelle Cambois, 2019. "Risk of Major Depressive Episodes After Separation: The Gender-Specific Contribution of the Income and Support Lost Through Union Dissolution," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 35(3), pages 519-542, July.
    4. Plaisier, Inger & de Bruijn, Jeanne G.M. & de Graaf, Ron & Have, Margreet ten & Beekman, Aartjan T.F. & Penninx, Brenda W.J.H., 2007. "The contribution of working conditions and social support to the onset of depressive and anxiety disorders among male and female employees," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 64(2), pages 401-410, January.
    5. Fagg, James & Curtis, Sarah & Stansfeld, Stephen A. & Cattell, Vicky & Tupuola, Ann-Marie & Arephin, Muna, 2008. "Area social fragmentation, social support for individuals and psychosocial health in young adults: Evidence from a national survey in England," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(2), pages 242-254, January.
    6. Gerrit Bauer & Martina Brandt & Thorsten Kneip, 2023. "The Role of Parenthood for Life Satisfaction of Older Women and Men in Europe," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 275-307, January.
    7. Baek, Seong-Uk & Yoon, Jin-Ha & Won, Jong-Uk, 2023. "Reciprocal longitudinal associations of supportive workplace relationships with depressive symptoms and self-rated health: A study of Korean women," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 333(C).
    8. Conklin, Annalijn I. & Forouhi, Nita G. & Surtees, Paul & Khaw, Kay-Tee & Wareham, Nicholas J. & Monsivais, Pablo, 2014. "Social relationships and healthful dietary behaviour: Evidence from over-50s in the EPIC cohort, UK," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 167-175.
    9. Evelina Landstedt & Per Gustafsson & Klara Johansson & Anne Hammarström, 2016. "Longitudinal associations between social relationships at age 30 and internalising symptoms at age 42: findings from the Northern Swedish Cohort," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 61(1), pages 75-81, January.

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