Is the growing gender divide a hidden influence on mental health?

Anyone who works in healthcare and other public services will be acutely aware of the worsening of the population’s mental health. Over a quarter of young adults aged 16-24 now live with at least one mental health condition.¹ One factor that may be both a contributory cause and consequence, yet is rarely discussed in health forums, is the increasingly fractured relationship between the sexes.

Reports of misogyny and violence against women fill the media with depressing regularity. In the UK, 147 women were killed by men in 2021, with over half being killed by current or former partners.² The online world, ostensibly democratic but bereft of checks and balances, is where many of the most toxic views are fomented.

A diverse body of evidence suggests men and women are drifting apart. One American study found that the percentage of sexually inactive men aged 18 to 24 increased from 18.9% in 2000–2002 to 30.9% in 2016–2018, and the percentage of sexually inactive young women increased from 15.1% to 19.1% over the same period.³

Loneliness and relationships

Current fertility in the UK is at an all-time low, with just 1.41 children born to each woman,⁴ set to worsen the existing demographic imbalance between the working-age population and the dependent elderly. A Morgan Stanley study, which recognises women’s success in the workplace but notes that the phenomenon negatively affects marriage and childbearing prospects, predicts that by 2030, 45% of all women aged 25-44 will be single and childless.⁵ Sexual activity, both recreational and procreational, is in steep decline.

Taken at face value, this is surprising, given that the online world offers a myriad of dating sites. Social commentator Chris Williamson refers to the ‘tall girl’ phenomenon to explain why historical dating and marriage trends no longer hold.⁶ Research by De Hauw et al backs this up.⁷ From ancient times till today, women have practised hypergamy, the search for a life partner more successful than themselves, something compatible with the fact that, historically, men have had a far greater share of workforce participation.

Gender and mental health

However, for several decades, girls have outperformed boys academically, and in the last couple of decades this has translated into significant workplace success. The ironic upshot is that this growing cohort of independently successful women is seeking partners from a shrinking pool of comparably successful men, with the inevitable outcome that many are destined to remain single.⁷

Conversely, a lot of evidence points to the fact that men are struggling, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, and are over-represented in every metric of under-achievement,⁸ including substance misuse,⁹ violent behaviour¹⁰ and the NEET cohort.¹¹  In addition, 96% of prisoners are male.¹²

Often reluctant to seek professional help, many turn to online forums and the manosphere, whose most high-profile influencer is Andrew Tate. There, their vulnerabilities are exploited by employing misogynistic ideologies, including blaming the rise of feminism for their problems, not least involuntary celibacy.⁸

The manosphere, the femosphere and the implications for mental health

Perhaps another trend has challenged that assumption recently: the femosphere. Dr Jilly Kay, Senior Lecturer in Media and Communication Studies at Loughborough University, coined the term.¹³ Ostensibly a counterpoint to the manosphere, it shares with the latter a disillusionment with liberal feminism, though for quite different reasons, arguing that the latter insists on thinking women are the equal of men without recognising inherent differences.¹³

Yet its essential message, delivered to women by influencers such as Kanika Batra and Sukaina Benzakour, is simple: eschew romantic delusions, and instead use traditional femininity to secure a High Value Male – wealthy and reliable – for financial gain.¹⁴ Worryingly, like the manosphere, it shares an inherent distrust, even envy, of the opposite sex. Yet the notion that successful men are incapable of being emotionally supportive is surely erroneous misandry, just as assuming attractive women have little to contribute intellectually is erroneous misogyny.

The disheartening reality of these diverse advocacy groups is that they are inherently adversarial, stirring negative emotions about the opposite sex, and the deleterious impact is felt widely across society, including healthcare, education, policing and law. Yet social harmony and normal phases of life such as dating, marriage and childbearing depend on mutual respect and mutual investment between the sexes. Health services do not, of course, have the answer. But recognition that troubled or non-existent relationships may underpin a person’s distress may go some way towards helping them.

What does this mean for clinical practice?

Changing relationship patterns, social isolation and exposure to adversarial online communities may have implications for mental health, particularly among young adults. For GPs and other healthcare professionals, understanding patients’ wider social and relationship circumstances may help identify underlying contributors to psychological distress.

When assessing patients presenting with anxiety, depression or low self-esteem, clinicians should consider whether loneliness, relationship difficulties or harmful online experiences may be contributing factors. Sensitive, non-judgemental discussions about social connections, emotional wellbeing and sources of support may help identify unmet needs.

For young men in particular, who may be reluctant to seek professional support, recognising the influence of online communities and social expectations could provide opportunities for earlier engagement. However, clinicians should avoid assumptions based on sex or gender and explore each patient’s individual circumstances.

Edin Lakasing, GP, trainer and tutor, Gade and Chorleywood Health Centres, 15 Lower Road, Chorleywood, Hertfordshire

[email protected]

References

1. O’Dowd A. Quarter of young adults in England have a mental health condition, data suggest. BMJ2025; 389:
2. Femicide Census. Femicide Census 2021. https://www.femicidecensus.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2021-Femicide-Census-Report.pdf (accessed 9 July 2026).
3. Ueda P, Mercer C H, Ghaznavi C, Herbenick D. 2020. Trends in Frequency of Sexual Activity and Number of Sexual Partners among Adults Aged 18 to 44 Years in the US, 2000–2018. JAMA Network Open2020; 3(6):
4. Births in England and Wales: 2025. ONS Births in England and Wales – Office for National Statistics. https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/livebirths/bulletins/birthsummarytablesenglandandwales/2025 (accessed 9 July 2026).
5. Rise of the SHEconomy. Morgan Stanley 2019, Sept 23. https://www.morganstanley.com/ideas/womens-impact-on-the-economy (accessed 9 July 2026).
6. Williamson C. 3-minute Monday – Type A problems, voters and wives. 21^st October 2024. https://chriswillx.com/3-minute-monday-type-a-problems-voters-wives/ (accessed 9 July 2026).
7. De Hauw, Y, Grow A, Van Bavel J. The Reversed Gender Gap in Education and Assortative Mating in Europe. European Journal of Population 2017; 33: 445–74.
8. Sparks B, Papandreous C. The manosphere and men’s wellbeing: How healthcare can help young men find alternatives to toxic online spaces. BMJ 2023; 383:
9. Gustavson K, Knudsen AK, Nesvåg R, Knudsen GP, Vollset SE, Reichborn-Kjennerud T. Prevalence and stability of mental disorders among young adults: findings from a longitudinal study. BMC Psychiatry 2018; 18:
10. Merikangas KR, He JP, Burstein M, et al. Lifetime prevalence of mental disorders in U.S. adolescents: results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication—Adolescent Supplement (NCS-A). J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2010; 49: 980-9.
11. Nolsøe E. Record rise in young men out of work and education. Telegraph 2023, Aug 24.
12. HMPPS Offender Equalities Report 2023/24. UK 2024, 28 Nov. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmpps-offender-equalities-annual-report-2023-to-2024/hmpps-offender-equalities-report-202324 (accessed 9 July 2026).
13. Kay B. A tale of two angers: The manosphere, the femosphere and the gender politics of mediated rage. Feminist Theory 2025; Vol 27 (1). https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/14647001251371998 (accessed 9 July 2026).
14. Ditum S. No hook-ups and men must pay: inside the femosphere. The Times 2026, 14 April. https://www.bing.com/search?q=Sarah%20Ditum%20Times%20Magazine%20welcome%20to%20the%20femosphere&qs=n&form=QBRE&sp=-1&lq=0&pq=sarah%20ditum%20times%20magazine%20welcome%20to%20the%20femosphere&sc=8-52&sk=&cvid=BE58E5B6A1EF44AB85E483B1256EED4B (accessed 9 July 2026).

Dr Edin Lakasing

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