Men and Women, the Recession and Depression
Posted by Nancy Furst
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Men and Women, the Recession and Depression
Men and women handle stress and depression differently (both take a greater toll on men as compared to women). The recession made 2009 a difficult year and it is looking bleak so far in 2010 for many Americans. The most recent results from the Bureau of Labor released statistics showing that 78 percent of jobs lost during the recession were held by men, and that women's wages have risen by 1.2 percent more than men's over the past two years.
These numbers have some calling the recent recession a “mancession," while others point out that these numbers could be interpreted in a variety of ways. For example, more jobs may have been lost by men because many of the jobs that have been cut were in the manufacturing and construction industries. And women's wages may have risen at a faster rate, but most women are still making less than the men doing the same jobs as them. For many men being able to talk about their feelings of vulnerability or sadness is impossible. Women on the other hand are comfortable talking about the stress they feel. Women are “allowed” to cry and find comfort talking to other women about how they feel. Men relate more by being competitive and focused with each other. Very seldom will they tell a buddy how they feel (when is the last time you heard your hubby tell his buddy," I am feeling sad and irritable because of what's happening with my job.")? Because of that stigma, many men keep their emotions hidden and as a result can't handle the recession stress quite as well as their female counterparts." Women are used to doing most of the household chores. Along with that comes an understanding that life goes on. Sammy still needs money to buy Popsicles at lunch and Kim needs her uniform washed before practice in the morning. Men, on the other hand, because they generally aren't worrying about all of these other factors at home, can get bogged down in the negatives they have to deal with at work. Men are more defined by their career and when work isn’t going well it is easier for many men to feel like they aren’t doing well. Their focus on their work leaves them unbalanced during times of job insecurity. Women are more secure in their outside network than men. They have more clubs, groups, and associations to which to belong and network. Men have a tendency to spend less time with groups or networking. They go it alone more frequently than women so when they are troubled or worried they are less apt to share with other men who could potentially help them with encouragement and advice. Women have always been paid less for our work than men. There is strength in that during a recession. We understand that we may have to be more flexible or improvise. Women are resourceful because we have had to be (it wasn’t that long ago we couldn’t even vote!). Men due to their history of being the breadwinner feel like failures if they have to step down, or take a less then deserved shift. Their ability to be flexible in the work place is not as developed as a woman’s. Their identity is more focused on "what they do" instead of what "can they do" to help the company. Men experience feelings of anger two times the rate as women when they lose their job. The emotion most likely to affect the heart, blood pressure, and overall health in a negative way is anger. Men are more likely to turn to violence when they are angry. Women on the other hand turn more frequently to crying which is actually healthy for the body. Part of being married is watching your spouse and trying to encourage and help them when they are down. Below are signs and symptoms to pay attention to if you your spouse behaving this way more frequently. Signs and Symptoms of a spouse who is suffering from stress related job loss or job insecurity:
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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the HRIS.
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