[News Today] SHARED HOUSEWORK PREVENT DEPRESSION

[LEAD]
Household chores can often lead to arguments between couples. But a new study shows that when husbands help more with housework, it can reduce the risk of depression in wives. Let's take a look.

[REPORT]
Married for 15 years, Lee Jong-seok folds the laundry at home after work.

Despite his busy schedule, he is gradually increasing the amount of housework he does to share to burden with his wife.

Lee Jong-seok / Husband (Married for 15 years)
I help with the dishes at night on weekdays and I prepare breakfast on weekends.

Ryu Jin-young / Wife (Married for 15 years)
I'm really grateful when he takes the initiative. It truly feels like we're a family, a community, working together. That makes me very happy.

A nine-year study by Yonsei University
College of Medicine, tracking over 7,000 married women nationwide, found that the
wives spend an average of 2 hours and 37 minutes on housework daily.
Husbands, however, only spend 21 minutes—a staggering 7-fold gap.

Unequal distribution of housework can lead to depression for women.

In fact, for every additional hour a husband spends on housework, the wife's risk of depression decreases by 12%.

The impact is even greater when the wives feel satisfied with their husband's participation in the house chores.

Baek Sung-woon / Researcher, Yonsei University College of Medicine
Even if the husband participates for an hour, the question is, does the wife feel satisfied or dissatisfied? This is also linked to depression.

Active participation from husbands in housework supports work-life balance and strengthens marital relationships.

While the benefits are clear, real-world challenges remain.

Prof. Yoon Jin-ha / Yonsei University College of Medicine
When a husband keeps worrying about work even after coming home, it can make housework feel less like a shared effort. This, too, significantly affects depression.

Experts emphasize that improving the division of housework requires not only institutional support, such as expanding parental leave and implementing flexible work policies, but also shifting societal perceptions to establish gender-equal norms within families.