Motherhood, employment and the development of depression: a replication of a finding?

Article Abstract:

Depression is known to be influenced by loss and disappointment; there is also evidence that other factors such as social support play a role as well. While employment has generally been found to be beneficial to mental health, it is not known if this is necessarily true for married women with children. Role conflicts might negate some of the benefits, adversely influencing the marriage, which might then lead to a depressive disorder. Research has thus far not found any direct link between depression and employment among mothers, but there is evidence that employment might serve as a buffer for severe events for some women. In this study, working-class women with a child living at home were asked to complete several measures of mental status, and to provide demographic and biographical information. Participants were re-interviewed one year later for changes in mental status, occurrence of crises, and social support received. It was found that mothers working full-time were at high risk for depression if they suffered work strain or were subjected to 'deviant' behavior by their partner or child. Such a relationship was not found among part-time workers. It was hypothesized that full-time workers may more frequently feel trapped in an unrewarding situation, whereas mothers employed part-time had more room for diversion. Part-time workers also fared better than non-workers. It was also hypothesized that women who did not work outside the home may feel less secure about their marriages and were therefore more likely to suffer depression. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Working mothers

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Symptoms and social adjustment in Jewish depressives

Article Abstract:

Literature suggests that Jews suffer a high incidence of affective disorders. Interestingly, the population generally has a low incidence of organic and alcohol-related conditions. Transcultural differences in affective illnesses have tended to focus on comparing Western and non-Western groups, neglecting patterns found between groups within, for instance, the West. Contributing factors to the high incidence of affective disorders probably have a psychosocial rather than genetic origin. To study whether the depressive experience itself differs for Jewish patients as opposed to non-Jews living in the Western world, 25 Jewish and 26 non-Jewish patients were assessed within one week of presentation to the hospital or outpatient department. Interviews provided information regarding personal and family history of psychiatric illness and drug treatment and patients were administered three standardized instruments to gather information about psychiatric symptoms, depression, and social adjustment. Levels of hypochondriasis and tension were comparatively high for Jews. Guilt was not as common in Jews as in non-Jews. Social maladjustment was high in both groups and may be reflective of an elderly, inner-city population (mean ages were 67.8 years for Jews, 61.7 years for non-Jews). That the presentation of depression in Jews in this study was different from non-Jews is evidence that depressive symptoms may differ in other groups as well. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Methods, Jews, Cross-cultural studies, Cross cultural studies, Social adjustment

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Adversity in groups with an increased risk of minor affective disorder

Article Abstract:

Depressive illness has been linked to life events, and research suggests that there are social factors involved as well. The sequence may be that social factors influence life events, which in turn affect mood. Women traditionally are more susceptible to depression. While there may be biological differences that make this so in most cases, it seems that this would be an inadequate explanation for the markedly higher rate of depression in women as opposed to men. To examine what factors might contribute to this discrepancy, a study of 310 subjects was conducted to associate gender, social class, and employment status with affective disorder. Subjects were interviewed for psychiatric symptoms experienced in the past month, and basic sociodemographic information was obtained. A second, more detailed, interview was conducted four to six weeks later. The most profound result of the study was that while there were clear associations between social factors and adversity, and between adversity and depression, adversity did not in and of itself have much of an effect on level of depression. Thus, there must be other mediating factors. The issues raised in this study are unique, so there are little data to suggest alternate interpretations. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Causes of, Affective disorders, Mood disorders

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