Exploring the gender gap in young adult mental health during COVID-19: Evidence from the UK.

Aims: To explore the prevalence of a mental health gender gap within a young adult sample during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to identify the impact of loneliness and domestic time use on young people's, and particularly young women's mental health.

Method: Using data from the UK Longitudinal Household Survey (UKHLS), this research examines mental health prior to the pandemic (2019) and during the pandemic (April 2020 until September 2021). A random-effects regression analysis was conducted to examine the effects of loneliness, and domestic factors across age and gender to ascertain their contribution to the mental health gender gap in a young adult population.

Results: Average mental health decline was consistently higher for women compared to men, and young people (ages 16-24) saw a reduction in mental health twice as much as those in the oldest age category (over 65). Loneliness accounted for a share of the mental health gender gap, and a more decrease in mental health was recorded for young women experiencing loneliness, compared to older age groups. Domestic and familial factors did not have a significant impact on young people's mental health.

Conclusions: Although across all ages and genders, mental health had returned to near pre-pandemic levels by September 2021, young people and especially women continue to have worse mental health compared to other age groups, which is consistent with pre-COVID age and gender inequalities. Loneliness is a key driver in gendered mental health inequalities during the pandemic in a young adult population.