Women suffer the most anxiety and depression from pandemic lockdowns, new study shows

Aussie women like Sarah Hamilton who fled Melbourne’s latest lockdown, have sobbed on their sofas from being cooped up by state premiers — and they’ve had enough.

Exclusive: Sarah Hamilton sobbed on her sofa when she heard the news that Melbourne’s world-record breaking lockdown had been extended in August.

“I thought, ‘I just cannot do this anymore’ and I bawled,’’ she said.

“I don’t know how it is possible to work a full-time job and homeschool.

“I’ve had anxiety like I’ve never felt, I feel so tired.

“There’s no silence, no me-time, and I’m looking at the same four walls every day.’’

Ms Hamilton, 44, is among a growing number of women suffering from pandemic panic, trying to juggle full-time jobs with caring for families in lockdown.

A new study by Smiling Mind reveals women are far more likely than men to suffer mental health problems as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns.

It shows that 70 per cent of Australian women reported feeling stressed this year, compared to 54 per cent of men.

Half the women felt depressed, compared to 39 per cent of men.

Anxiety affected two-thirds of women – and less than half the men surveyed.

Smiling Mind CEO Dr Addie Wootten.

The Smiling Mind report reveals that 56 per cent of women – and 71 per cent of single mothers or fathers – are suffering high to very high psychological distress.

Women are also more likely to feel lonely, with one in four women citing a “low sense of belonging’’, compared to one in five men.

Smiling Mind chief executive Dr Addie Wootten, a psychologist, said women are more likely than men to be juggling paid work with housework and supervising children’s schoolwork during lockdowns.

She said women were missing face-to-face catch-ups with friends and family.

“It’s the social support and connections and relationships they need to feel safe and secure and supported,’’ she said.

“The isolation that women felt during the pandemic was greater than what men felt.

“The way women deal with stress is often to have conversations, to debrief, but men are less likely to do that and might focus on physical exercise for their mental health.

“Home schooling has fallen more on women than men.’’

Sarah Hamilton, who owns a skin care company, with her partner Jamie and children Ruby 8, Otis 7 and Jensen 6. Picture: Supplied

Ms Hamilton, whose partner works out of the home as a project manager, was able to use a nanny to help care for her primary school-aged children while she ran her Sand and Sky skincare company.

The family recently moved from Melbourne to the seaside town of Aireys Inlet, to escape the world’s longest lockdown and get their kids back to school.

Ms Hamilton said she “cannot even imagine’’ how single parents, or families living in apartments, could cope with lockdown.

Sarah Hamilton's children Ruby 8, Otis 7 and Jensen 6 enjoy life out of lockdown. Picture: Supplied

She feels that Victorian Premier Dan Andrews does not understand the struggles of locked-down families and failed to give parents enough help with home schooling.

“It feels like we’ve become ruled by a group of men,’’ she said.

“Women are usually the ones who take the responsibility of looking after kids, even though they work.’’

Ms Hamilton is delighted to be out of lockdown this week - and says she will never complain again about the school run.

“Picking up the kids from school and seeing them happy and hugging their friends, I will never take that for granted,’’ she said.