探索2002-2022年青少年心理症狀性別差距擴大背後的機制：國家層面性別平等的作用

Exploring mechanisms behind the increasing gender gap in adolescent psychological symptoms, 2002–2022: the role of national-level gender equality

——《兒童心理學與精神病學雜誌》2025年，第66卷，第5期——

Volume 66, Issue 5, 2025

【摘要】背景：近幾十年來，青少年，尤其是女孩的內化問題顯著增多，導致性別差距不斷擴大。本研究考察了2002年至2022年期間，在性別平等的國家，心理症狀的性別差距是否更大；如果是，這在多大程度上可以用這些國家男孩和女孩在壓力源（例如學業壓力、對自身身材不滿、同學支持度低）體驗方面隨時間的變化來解釋。方法：將國家性別不平等數據（聯合國開發計劃署性別不平等指數）與43個國家（N=1,268,220）學齡兒童健康行為 (HBSC) 研究（2002-2022）中匯總的個人層面數據相結合。對心理症狀的絕對和相對性別差距進行了調查周期、性別不平等指數及其相互作用的回歸分析。接下來，將調查周期與學業壓力、身體不滿或同學支持的交互作用添加到模型中。結果：2002年至2022年間，在性別平等的國家，心理症狀的絕對和相對性別差距的擴大更為顯著，這主要是因為這些國家的女孩心理症狀增幅更大。此外，在性別平等的國家，男孩，尤其是女孩，在學業壓力和同學支持方面的時間趨勢不太有利。性別平等的國家中女孩學業壓力的大幅增加部分解釋了這些國家心理症狀絕對性別差距的擴大。結論：雖然國家層面的性別平等在21世紀初與男孩和女孩的心理健康呈正相關，但近年來，這種關聯對女孩而言已變為負相關。性別平等對女孩心理健康的益處可能已被壓力源（尤其是學業壓力）的增加所掩蓋。這些研究結果並非主張性別平等是一種消極的狀況，而是表明，要實現完全的性別平等，即男女真正分擔日常生活中的負擔和壓力，仍有許多工作要做。

【關鍵詞】青少年；性別差異；心理健康；跨文化；公共衛生。

[Abstract] Background: Internalising problems have increased considerably among adolescents in the last decades, particularly among girls, resulting in widening gender gaps. This study examined whether the gender gap in psychological symptoms increased more in more gender-equal countries in the period 2002–2022, and if so, to what extent this could be explained by changes over time in the experience of stressors (i.e. schoolwork pressure, body dissatisfaction, low classmate support) among boys and girls in these countries. Methods: National data on gender inequality (UNDP Gender Inequality Index) were combined with aggregated individual-level data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study (2002–2022) across 43 countries (N = 1,268,220). Absolute and relative gender gaps in psychological symptoms were regressed on survey cycle, GII and their interaction. Next, interactions of survey cycle and either schoolwork pressure, body dissatisfaction or classmate support were added to the model. Results: Increases in the absolute and relative gender gap in psychological symptoms between 2002 and 2022 were stronger in more gender-equal countries, mainly due to larger increases in psychological symptoms among girls in these countries. Also, less favourable time trends for schoolwork pressure and classmate support were found in more gender-equal countries for boys and especially girls. The larger increase in schoolwork pressure among girls in more gender-equal countries partly explained the increased absolute gender gap in psychological symptoms in these countries. Conclusions: While national-level gender equality was positively associated with boys' and girls' mental health in the early 2000s, this association has become negative for girls in more recent years. The benefits of gender equality for girls' mental health may have become overshadowed by the increased experience of stressors, especially schoolwork pressure. Far from advocating that gender equality is a negative situation, these findings suggest that much work remains to achieve full gender equality, where men and women really share the burdens and stressors in everyday life.

[Key words] Adolescence; gender differences; mental health; cross-cultural; public health.

論文原文：Margreet E. de Looze, Alina Cosma, Frank J. Elgar, et al (2025). Exploring mechanisms behind the increasing gender gap in adolescent psychological symptoms, 2002–2022: the role of national-level gender equality. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, Volume 66, Issue 5, Pages 737-751. May 2025.

https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.14081 

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