Economic Worries Hit Men Harder Than Women

Worries about the economy will hit men harder than women, say British researchers, due to the fact that job insecurity affects a man's self-image and sense of masculinity.

A study by Cambridge University found that even though more British women than men had lost their jobs due to the credit crunch, men who think they are in danger of losing their job are more likely to become depressed than women.

"In part, there is a macho issue about about men being the breadwinner," said study author Dr. Brendan Burchell, of the University of Cambridge's sociology department. "Men, unlike women, have few positive ways of defining themselves outside of the workplace between when they leave school and when they retire."

The study analyzed data from 300 current British employees combined with a survey of thousands of people by the Economic and Social Research Council looking at the effects of social and economic change since 1991.

"Given that most economic forecasts predict that the recession will be long and with a slow recovery," concluded Burchell, "the results mean that many people - and men in particular - could be entering into a period of prolonged and growing misery."