Women In Crowded Homes Are More Likely To Be Depressed Than Men

ScienceDaily — Seeking to determine whether gender-specific responses to the stress of crowded living situations exist, sociologist Wendy Regoeczi of Cleveland State University examined data from a survey of Toronto residents and analyzed levels of depression, aggression and withdrawal among men and women.

Regoeczi found that women in crowded homes were more likely to be depressed than men, yet men reported higher levels of withdrawal than women. Some males in the survey responded to high-density living environments with both aggression and withdrawal.

Regoeczi theorizes that women may not be able to withdrawal from crowded living situations due to their relationship obligations and social roles, while men may be at greater liberty to evade others and may be able to do so through their jobs.

Journal reference:

Wendy C. Regoeczi. Crowding in Context: An Examination of the Differential Responses of Men and Women to High-Density Living Environments. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, September 2008 [link]

Adapted from materials provided by American Sociological Association, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.