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Gender Differences in Correlates of Mental Health Among Elderly Koreans

¹ Graduate School of Public Health and ² Center for Aging and Population Research, Institute of Health and Environment, Seoul National University, Korea.
³ Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.

Address correspondence to Soong-Nang Jang, PhD, Center for Aging and Population Research, Institute of Health and Environment, Seoul National University, 28 Yeongun-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea. E-mail: jysr{at}snu.ac.kr

Objectives. This study examined the differential impact of social roles and socioeconomic resources on the mental health of Korean men and women aged 65 years or older.

Methods. The study sample was a weighted population of 930 people (905 survey samples) aged 65 years or older who had responded to the health behavior survey of the 2001 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Results. We observed striking gender differences in the correlates of poor mental health. Living alone was significantly associated with depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation in men but not in women. Living in a multigenerational family without a spouse and having a lower household income were significantly associated with poor mental health in both men and women.

Discussion. We discuss the intriguing evidence of gender differences in the correlates of mental health within the context of traditional Asian society and suggest further research on social components of gender differences in mental health across diverse cultures.