Mental health risk to middle-class victims of sexism
SEXIST behaviour by men could be fuelling mental illness among women – with university- educated white middle class females worsthit, a study found.
One in five women in a survey of 3,000 said they had been victims of sexism which ranged from insults to being assaulted.
They were more likely to develop poorer mental health over the following four years than women who had not suffered from sexism – and were three times more likely to report clinical depression.
Victims were younger on average than those who had not suffered from sexism – around 34 years of age compared to 38. They were also more likely to be white (23.8 per cent vs 16.3 per cent), wealthier based on monthly income and better educated. A greater proportion held university degrees (48.1 per cent vs 32.2 per cent).
Lead author Dr Ruth Hackett, of University College London, said: ‘We found that women who reported perceived sex discrimination were more likely to be depressed and have greater psychological distress, as well as poorer mental functioning, life satisfaction and self-rated health.’ The study said experiencing sexism can act as a barrier to a healthy lifestyle. A woman may avoid activities or places which she perceives as unsafe.
Or she may try to cope with discrimination with unhealthy behaviours such as binge drinking and smoking or hard drug use.
Dr Hackett added: ‘There are several possible explanations for the link between sexism and poorer mental health. Sexism may serve as a barrier to healthy lifestyles that promote mental well-being. For example, if women avoid exercising in settings they perceive to be unsafe or use substances to cope with discriminatory experiences.
‘ Repeated exposure to stress may also lead to “wear and tear” that disrupts normal biological processes.’ The women in the study were asked to report occasions they experienced sexism in the previous 12 months and where they happened.
The most common settings were in the street (77 per cent), on public transport ( 39.9 per cent), and around bus or train stations (38.9 per cent). Sex discrimination was less frequently reported in school or workplace settings (12 per cent) or in the home (10.5 per cent).
Dr Hackett said it may be that younger women had greater awareness of sexism because of the ‘Me Too’ movement which has seen a stream of stars such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Lawrence highlight abuse by powerful men including Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.
She said white women may be more likely to report sexism because for non-white women ‘sex discrimination might not be their biggest concern’. They may face more serious discrimination over race.
Dr Hackett added: ‘Our results highlight the need to reduce sexism in our society – not only to promote equality between the sexes, but also to reduce avoidable mental wellbeing issues in women.’
Dr Sarah Jackson, a senior author on the study, said the findings were ‘particularly concerning in suggesting an enduring impact of experiences of sex discrimination on mental health and well-being.’
She insisted: ‘They underscore the importance of tackling sexism – not only as a moral problem but one that may have a lasting legacy on mental health.’
‘Psychological distress’