Women in Powerful Positions are more likely to be Depressed, study finds

Women in authoritative positions at work are more likely to experience depression — but their male counterparts aren't, according to a new study.

 

Researchers from the American Sociological Association tracked 1,300 men and 1,500 women from 1993 through 2004 for their study, published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior.

They found that women were depressed despite higher education, salaries, job satisfaction and autonomy, all of which lead author Tetyana Pudrovska, a sociologist at the University of Texas at Austin, said are usually "strong predictors of positive mental health."

The depression may stem from women fighting gender roles.

"Women in authority positions are viewed as lacking the assertiveness and confidence of strong leaders. But when these women display such characteristics, they are judged negatively for being unfeminine. This contributes to chronic stress," Pudrovska said in a release.

Men, on the other hand, are expected to be powerful at work.

"Male leadership is accepted as normative and legitimate," Pudrovska added. "This increases men's power and effectiveness as leaders and diminishes interpersonal conflict."

Even women without such power are more depressed than men without power, though to a lesser extent, the authors said.

"We need to address gender discrimination, hostility, and prejudice against women leaders to reduce the psychological costs and increase the psychological rewards of higher-status jobs for women," Pudrovska concluded.