Women's multiple roles and psychological well-being

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sociology

Background:

• Returning to higher education presents unique challenges for adult women balancing multiple life roles.
• Understanding factors influencing psychological well-being in this demographic is crucial for support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between the number of social roles and locus of control with psychological well-being in women returning to community college.
• To determine if locus of control predicts well-being independently of social roles.

Main Methods:

• Surveyed 162 middle-class women aged 23+ returning to community college.
• Assessed psychological well-being (happiness, self-esteem) and locus of control.
• Analyzed the impact of multiple roles (partner, mother, paid employee) on well-being.

Main Results:

• Women with two or three roles reported greater happiness than those with one or none.
• Internal locus of control significantly predicted higher happiness and self-esteem.
• Number of roles and internal locus of control were positive predictors of psychological well-being.

Conclusions:

• Occupying multiple social roles enhances psychological well-being for women returning to school.
• An internal locus of control is a key factor in promoting psychological health and self-esteem in this population.
• Interventions supporting multiple roles and fostering internal locus of control may benefit returning adult women students.