South Korean Study Links Long

Commutes to Depression
January 07, 2024
6

Intermediate
Health

Exercise 1

Vocabulary
Repeat each word, definition, and example sentence after your tutor.

commute
Verb
k əˈ mju ː t
to travel between one's home and work or school
I've started commuting to work by train to reduce my carbon footprint.

depression
Noun
d ɪˈ pr ɛʃə n
a mental health condition in which people often feel very sad, have trouble eating
and sleeping, lack energy, etc.
Research shows that women are nearly twice as likely as men to
develop depression during their lifetime.

connect
Verb
k əˈ n ɛ kt
to have or provide an association, link, relationship, etc.
The research suggests that too much screen time may be connected to
anxiety.

symptom
Noun
ˈ s ɪ mpt ə m
a sign that a person is suffering from an illness, disease, etc.
A persistent cough, fever, and a loss of smell are some of the most
common symptoms of COVID-19.

spouse
Noun
spa ʊ s
a husband or wife
We went out for breakfast with John and his spouse at our favorite café.

recover
Verb
r ɪˈ k ʌ v ə r
to become normal or successful again after a difficulty
Rachel finds that taking long walks in the countryside helps
her recover from work stress.
Exercise 2

Article
Read the article aloud on your own or repeat each paragraph after your tutor.

South Korean Study Links Long Commutes to Depression

Nobody likes a long drive, bus or train ride to work. But could it even be
making you depressed?

A new study from South Korea says it could be.

Researchers looked at the Korean Working Conditions Survey, which

included over 23,000 workers who were between the ages of 20 and 59 in
2017. Most participants were married and had at least one child.

The researchers wanted to see how commuting time was connected to

symptoms of depression in the country.

It was found that, compared to those commuting less than 30 minutes,

workers commuting 31-59 minutes a day were 9% more likely to have
symptoms of depression. And those commuting 60 minutes or more were
16% more likely to have these symptoms.

Looking further into the data, the connection between long commute times
and depression was especially strong among women in their 20s and men
in their 40s.

The connection was also strong among women with low incomes. Women
with children were also more likely to be depressed by long commutes.
However, married men with children were less depressed by long commute
times — which the researchers suggest may be because their spouses care
for their children instead.

According to data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and

Development (OECD), the average commute time in South Korea is 58
minutes per day — the highest among all OECD nations. That compares to
18 minutes in Sweden, 27 minutes in Germany and 40 minutes in Japan.

A 2021 report also found that, among OECD nations, depression was most
common in South Korea.

The researchers note that long commute times are connected to stress, and
also reduce the time people have to recover from work. Long commutes
may also reduce the time people have to sleep, which can add to
depression.

Exercise 3

Questions
Answer the following questions about the article.

1.
Why do researchers believe that long commutes make married men
with children feel less depressed than married women?
2.
Where does South Korea rank in commute times among all OECD
nations?
3.
Which country mentioned in the article has the lowest average
commute time?
Exercise 4

Discussion
Have a discussion based on the following questions.

1.
What are your thoughts on the Korean Working Conditions Survey's
findings?
2.
Were you surprised to learn that the average commute time in
South Korea is 58 minutes per day? How does that compare to your
commute time?
3.
Have you ever felt stressed or depressed due to having a long
commute?
4.
What do you think are the best ways to pass the time during a long
commute?
5.
Would you consider taking a lower-paying job if it offered a shorter
commute?
Exercise 5

Further Discussion
Have a discussion based on the following questions.

1.
Have you had many jobs? What was your first one?
2.
Have you ever worked remotely? How did you find the experience?
3.
Do you think working from home or in an office makes people
happier?
4.
Do you think you'd be happier if you didn't have to work at all?
5.
If you had the chance to start over, would you choose the same
career path?