Taking on executive positions or jobs requiring increased authority at the work place poses higher risks of depression for women compared with men.
In a recent study published in the Journal of Health and Science Behavior, women who are placed in higher positions at work tend to become more depressed than their male counterparts. In fact, the risk of depression among men appear to become lower when they are granted an increase in authority in their jobs.
"Although women have more depressive symptoms than men regardless of job authority, this gender gap is significantly greater among individuals with job authority than those without job authority," shared the researchers in their study.
The researchers, who were from the University of Texas at Austin, revealed that 2,800 men and women aged 54 to 64 were taken into consideration prior to arriving to such conclusion. These individuals, 1,500 female and 1,300 male, were interviewed over the phone.
According to Tetyana Pudrovska, a sociology professor from the aforementioned school and an author, the society remains more critical in evaluating the leadership capabilities of women than men. Although gender equality had been widely advocated in most nations, the author claims that women still experience "subtle gender discrimination" and "harassment" in the work place. These are typically endured by women who have achieved higher positions in their jobs, which consequently leads or contributes to "chronic stress".
"Women in authority positions are evaluated more stringently compared to women without job authority and male co-workers," explained Pudrovska.
The same observation had been pointed out by the researchers in their study.
"Despite the sweeping changes in women's educational and occupational opportunities in recent decades, job authority may still constitute a psychological risk for women," concluded the researchers.
Moreover, Dr. Ruth Sealy from London's City University shared that women in higher positions tend to feel "trapped" by society's conventional perception of a worthy leader.
Hence, giving higher positions to women can incite a lot of criticisms from colleagues as gender stereotypes remain firmly in place. Women leaders who are assertive and decisive tend to be labelled as unladylike. However, lady bosses choosing to stick to their feminine qualities would not make effective leaders. These contradicting notions require women employees to work harder to achieve higher posts as men are generally perceived to have the "natural competence" to lead.
"Women often have had to work much harder to get to those positions, only to find that even when they get there, their 'right' to that status is continuously questioned," Dr. Sealy explained.
To resolve these concerns, Dr. Sealy suggested that companies should strive to create an atmosphere that's equally accepting and respectful of both female and male leadership.
