According to a report in AFP-Relaxnews, this was the findings of a study conducted by Canadian researchers.
To come up with the conclusion, researchers at the University of Calgary, in collaboration with the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, surveyed 573 Canadians out of whom 112 were men and 459 were women - with an average age of 25.9 years between March 23 and June 7, 2020.
The study published in Frontiers in Global Women's Health found that more than two-thirds of participants reported poor sleep quality during lockdown with more than 39 per cent experiencing an increase in insomnia symptoms.
Meanwhile, anxiety and feelings of distress increased overall where symptoms related to sleep, depression, and anxiety were mostly felt by women.
More responsibilities taken on by women
"Generally, the study found women reporting more anxiety and depression. Their symptoms worsened over time and with greater length of the isolation period."There was a progressive increase in anxiety, depression, poor sleep quality and trauma for males and females. But it was greater for females over time," said Dr. Veronica Guadagni of the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary.
"I was not surprised by the findings; women are the ones who carry the additional load. Taking care of family and critical situations has always been a huge load on women and females," said Dr Giuseppe Iaria, co-author of the survey.
Following the findings, researchers now want to develop gender-targeted psychological interventions for people to get through the pandemic.