Gender and depressive symptoms: Parents' sharing of instrumental and expressive tasks when their children are young

The impact of division of labor, including emotional work, on levels of depressive symptoms was examined. A self-selected sample of 102 middle-class couples with at least 1 child under 5 years of age completed questionnaires. Women's depressive symptoms were predicted by emotional work, as well as by appraisal of conflict between a division of labor that would suit themselves and a division that would be best for the family. Men's depressive symptoms were predicted by their spouse's disagreement with their estimate of how much housework they performed. Depressive symptoms for both men and women were associated with discrepancies between premarital expectations and the current division of labor. Focus on division of labor, especially sharing of emotional work, is recommended for treating depression.