The Weight of Identity: Exploring the Crossroads of Gender Salience, Depression, and Equality in Europe

Van de Velde, Sarah

The gender gap in depression, with women consistently reporting higher levels of depressive symptoms than men, is a well-established finding in mental health research. However, the role of gender identity salience—the extent to which individuals see their gender identity as central to their sense of self—in shaping these outcomes remains largely unexplored. While previous research has shown that this gender gap is linked to broader societal levels of gender equality, no studies have yet investigated how gender salience interacts with societal structures to influence mental health.

Building on Ridgeway and Correll’s (2004) multilevel gender system framework, this paper proposes that the relationship between individual gender salience and depressive feelings is influenced by societal-level gender equality. Gender operates not only as an individual identity but also as a social structure that shapes interactions and expectations. In contexts of low gender equality, individuals with high gender salience may experience greater psychological strain due to rigid gender norms. Conversely, in more gender-equal societies, these negative effects may be alleviated. This study addresses the research question: How does societal-level gender equality moderate the relationship between individual gender salience and depressive feelings across European countries?

We make use of the 11^th round of the European Social Survey (2023-2024), which collected detailed data on gender identity, salience, and equality, as well as on depressive symptoms through the CES-D 8 inventory. Data were collected in 156 regions in 13 countries. Preliminary estimates were calculated through multilevel modeling. These results confirm the gender gap in depressive symptoms, with women reporting more depressive symptoms than men. A more pronounced gender salience was also associated with more depressive symptoms, particularly in men. The association between depressive symptoms and gender salience, however, became less important in more gender egalitarian contexts.