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Analysing the opportunity cost of gender inequality on emotional health This report, sponsored by Merck, reveals the social and economic impact of the gender gap in emotional health in Spain. The report highlights the economic impact of the gender gap in emotional health, focusing on four key categories: mood, work environment, self-care and the emotional health gap of young people.

Gender gap in emotional health

Poor emotional health can lead to worsening mental health, causing problems such as anxiety or depression. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, emotional health has become a more important issue. 74.7% of the Spanish population believes that the mental health of society has deteriorated. The report specifically explores gender gaps in emotional health, including aspects such as mood, work environment, self-care, and the experiences of young people.

Opportunity cost

The report provides a comprehensive examination of the gender gap in emotional health and offers both qualitative and quantitative insights into its societal impact. It reveals that depression and anxiety represent an estimated economic loss of €18.6 billion to the Spanish economy. A percentage of 37% of this total, or €6.87 billion, can be attributed to the gender gap.

Strengthening our emotional health leads to a fairer, more inclusive, more resilient and more productive society in the long term. For this reason, emotional health is of great scientific, social and political importance and must be addressed in order to find global solutions. Recognising and valuing the relevance of women as agents of social transformation would have a great positive impact on our economy, our society and, of course, on our well-being.

Ana Polanco European Director of Corporate Affairs and Market Access at Merck, Chairwoman of ASEBIO and Chair of the Advisory Board of the ClosinGap Association.

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