Women more likely to suffer from lockdown loneliness: Study

New Delhi | June 15, 2020 11:20 PM IST

3 min read

men and women, mental health, mental health in lockdown, feelings, loneliness, indian express, indian express news

The researchers are of the opinion that women could be feeling lonelier because of the demand to take care of both children and the domestic duties. (Source: Getty/Thinkstock)

Could the lockdown be affecting men and women differently? A recently-conducted study seems to suggest that one in three women are suffering from loneliness caused by the lockdown. Conducted by some economists at the University of Essex, the research reveals that women may be experiencing more mental health problems than men, amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The study also reveals that there has been an increase in the number of people reporting at least one underlying mental health issue — from seven per cent to 18 per cent during the ongoing pandemic. For women, particularly, the figures have risen from 11 per cent to 27 per cent in lockdown. The researchers are of the opinion that the rise could be because of the fact that women are having to take care of both children and the domestic duties.

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In the study, it was found that while 34 per cent of women reported feeling lonely sometimes in the lockdown, 11 per cent of them said they felt lonely quite often. In comparison, 23 per cent of men said they felt lonely in the lockdown, and six per cent said they felt lonely quite often.

According to The Independent, the study is based on online interviews, using the UK Household Longitudinal Study.

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Previously, there have been numerous studies conducted on similar topics, which show that around the world, there is more stress on women to manage household chores and take care of their kids and work commitments, too. Earlier this year, a McKinsey report suggested that women may be taking more responsibilities at home despite having work commitments of their own. While the number of educated and employed women is on the rise, their household responsibilities and involvements haven’t reduced. They are taking care of the kids and household chores more than their husbands/partners or other men in the family.

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