Social Movement and Mental Health of South Korean Women Sexual Violence Survivors, 2012-2019.

Abstract

<b>Objectives.</b> To examine whether the #MeToo movement influenced depressive symptoms among women in South Korea with a history of experiencing sexual violence. <b>Methods.</b> We used data from a nationally representative sample (n = 4429) of women 19 to 50 years of age who participated in the Korean Longitudinal Survey of Women and Families between 2012 and 2019. A difference-in-differences model was used to estimate within-person changes in depressive symptoms attributable to the #MeToo movement across women with and without a history of experiencing sexual violence. Depressive symptoms were measured with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD). <b>Results.</b> After adjustment for potential confounders, the #MeToo movement led to a 1.64 decrease in CESD scores among women with a history of experiencing sexual violence relative to women without such a history. <b>Conclusions.</b> Our findings suggest that the #MeToo movement in Korea led to reduced depressive symptoms among women with a history of experiencing sexual violence. <b>Public Health Implications.</b> Despite the progress of the #MeToo movement, there are still judicial and institutional problems that can revictimize sexual violence survivors. Further policy changes will likely improve the mental health of survivors. (<i>Am J Public Health</i>. 2022;112(9):1337-1345. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.306945).