Gender differences in unpaid care work and psychological distress in the UK Covid-19 lockdown.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To describe how men and women divided childcare and housework demands during the height of the first Covid-19 lockdown in the UK, and whether these divisions were associated with worsening mental health during the pandemic.

Background

School closures and homeworking during the Covid-19 crisis have resulted in an immediate increase in unpaid care work, which draws new attention to gender inequality in divisions of unpaid care work.

Methods

Data come from the wave 9 (2017-19) of Understanding Society and the following April (n = 15,426) and May (n = 14,150) waves of Understanding Society Covid-19 study. Psychological distress was measured using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) at both before and during the lockdown, and unpaid care work was measured duri

SUBMITTER: Xue B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7932161 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature