Abstract
Background: In contrast to paid work, few studies have investigated the association between unpaid domestic work and mental health. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between domestic work and self-reported diagnosed depression and to estimate related costs in a general population. Method: The study is based on women (N = 7981) and men (N = 6203) aged 30–69 years who responded to a survey questionnaire in Mid-Sweden in 2017 (overall response rate 43%). Multivariate logistic regression models, adjusting for age group, educational level, family status, employment status, economic difficulties, and social support, were used to study the association between domestic work and depression. The estimation of direct and indirect costs was based on the calculation of population attributable risks, the literature, and administrative data. Results: In total, 25% of the women and 14% of the men spent more than 20 h a week on domestic work, and 57% of the women and 39% of the men experienced domestic work sometimes or more often as burdensome. A strong independent association between experiencing domestic work as burdensome and depression was observed both in women and men. The total cost of depression possibly related to burdensome domestic work was estimated up to EUR 135.1 million (min EUR 20.7 million–max EUR 21.4 billion) of the total EUR 286.4 million per year in Mid-Sweden. Conclusions: The association between experiencing domestic work as burdensome and depression was strong among both women and men and was not restricted to employed persons or to parents with children. Even though the cross-sectional design does not allow one to assess the direction of the association between domestic work and depression, and longitudinal studies are needed, the results imply that strain in domestic work should be taken into account when considering factors that contribute to the prevalence of depression in the general population and its high societal costs.
Highlights
Numerous studies have investigated the effects of employment and working conditions on mental health, and these are well documented in the occupational health literature.The effects of unpaid domestic work have been much less studied [1] even though domestic work has a large impact on the everyday life of millions of people
The prevalence of spending more than 20 h per week on domestic work was lower in the age group 50–69 years than in the younger age group 30–49 years and among men with a low educational level compared to men with a high educational level
Women who lived with a partner and children and single mothers spent more time on domestic work than others
Summary
Numerous studies have investigated the effects of employment and working conditions on mental health, and these are well documented in the occupational health literature.The effects of unpaid domestic work have been much less studied [1] even though domestic work has a large impact on the everyday life of millions of people. Even in countries where women participate in the waged labour market, they continue to be responsible for a major part of the duties for childcare and unpaid work in the household [3]. In contrast to paid work, few studies have investigated the association between unpaid domestic work and mental health. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between domestic work and self-reported diagnosed depression and to estimate related costs in a general population. A strong independent association between experiencing domestic work as burdensome and depression was observed both in women and men. The total cost of depression possibly related to burdensome domestic work was estimated up to EUR 135.1 million
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