Husbands who take on more housework improve their wives' mental health

Husbands who actively assist around the house are not only meeting their share of household responsibilities – they're also significantly boosting their wives' mental well-being.

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Research has discovered that for every extra hour of household chores a husband undertakes, his wife's likelihood of experiencing low mood or depression decreases by 12 percent.

Past studies have indicated that relationships often experience difficulties when one partner, predominantly the woman, shoulders the majority of household responsibilities.

The recent study published in Social Science and Medicine highlights the effects it may have on women's mental health and well-being.

Traditionally, societal norms dictated that men were expected to be the primary breadwinners, going out to work, while women were expected to manage the household and care for the family.

Although the original views are no longer current, other surveys indicate that the majority of the responsibilities continue to fall primarily on women.

The 2023 British Social Attitudes Survey – a poll of 3,000 men and women – discovered that two-thirds of women are still mainly responsible for cooking and cleaning, and carry out a greater proportion of washing and ironing duties.

Currently, 88 per cent of the responsibilities were handled by only 22 per cent of men, with nearly one-third of them admitting they were underperforming.

Researchers from the Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seoul conducted a study in which they polled 7,000 married women every two years over a six-year period.

They discovered that females spent an average of more than two hours and thirty minutes each day performing standard household tasks, while males spent just over 35 minutes completing these responsibilities.

The researchers then analyzed the rates of depression among the women, compared to their husbands' input.

Spouses who are dissatisfied with their partners' efforts have a 15 percent greater tendency to experience mental health issues. Meanwhile, women who are content with the amount their partner contributes are 18 percent less likely to experience low mood.

The risks were lowered by 12 percent when husbands took on half of the tasks and began doing their share of the work.

Researchers argued that participation of husbands in domestic work is linked to a lowered risk of depression among married women.

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