Labour Market, Gender Norms and Population Mental Health in Scotland

Thursday, July 16, 2026, 7:00 PM

Session: SOC Plenary Virtual 2 (Virtual)

The prevalence of poor mental health among working-age adults in Scotland has risen since the mid 2000s, with women consistently report higher rates than men despite decades of measurable progress in gender equality. This paper investigates the structural mechanisms sustaining this "Scottish Gender Paradox" by examining the dynamic interaction between the labour market, gender norms, and population mental health. A simulation model, grounded in complex realism, and based in a feedback-driven literature synthesis was developed. Disconfirmatory interviews were conducted with 10 experts. The gender gap in poor mental health persists primarily because structural gender inequality channels women into poor mental health at a higher rate. The historical rise in poor mental health for both genders was not primarily driven by the 2008 recession. Within the model, the recession functioned as an activating event for pre-existing structural vulnerabilities rather than as an independent cause of the mental health trend. The recession's mental-health cost is carried almost entirely by the rise in insecure work it accelerated, not by the demand shock itself.