Gender Discrimination at Work

 

When Work Doesn’t Work for You: Gender Discrimination and Mental Health

Let’s talk about something that doesn’t get talked about enough, how unfair treatment at work can mess with your mental health. I’m not just talking about a bad boss or a tough day. I’m talking about gender discrimination, the kind that shows up quietly but cuts deep over time.

I recently read a study by Kim and colleagues (2020) that really made me pause. It looked at women in the workforce in South Korea and found that those who experienced gender discrimination were way more likely to report depressive symptoms. And not just one type of discrimination, we’re talking hiring, promotions, pay, training, even who gets fired. It’s a pattern, not a one-off.

What stood out even more? Younger women, those under 40, seemed to be especially affected. Think about it: you’re early in your career, trying to build something, and you keep running into walls that shouldn't be there. That takes a toll, emotionally and mentally.

So what does this mean for us as counselors-in-training?

It means we can’t separate someone’s mental health from their work life. If a client comes in feeling hopeless, burned out, or anxious, and they’re also dealing with being overlooked or underpaid because of their gender, that’s not just a side note. That’s part of the story.

We need to be the kind of counselors who:

  • Ask the deeper questions about work culture and fairness
  • Help clients name what they’re going through, because sometimes they’re not even sure if what they’re experiencing “counts” as discrimination
  • Support clients in finding ways to cope without blaming themselves for a broken system
  • And yeah, advocate for change where we can

This study hit close to home, because it reminds me that our role goes beyond listening, we’re also here to help people feel seen, believed, and empowered. And sometimes that starts with just saying, “Hey, what you’re going through isn’t okay, and you’re not alone.”

 

Kim, G., Kim, J., Lee, S.-K., Sim, J., Kim, Y., Yun, B.-Y., & Yoon, J.-H. (2020). Multidimensional gender discrimination in the workplace and depressive symptoms. PLOS ONE, 15(7), e0234415. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0234415

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