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Gender, multiple roles, role meaning, and mental health
1University of Iowa, USA. RSIMON@VAXA.WEEG.UIOWA.EDU
Journal of Health and Social Behavior
|June 1, 1995
Summary
Gender roles impact mental health differently for men and women. Differences in how work and family roles are perceived explain why women experience fewer mental health benefits from multiple roles compared to men.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Psychology
- Gender Studies
Background:
- Societal expectations often assign distinct meanings to work and family roles for men and women.
- The mental health benefits of holding multiple roles (spouse, parent, worker) may not be uniform across genders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate gender differences in the mental health consequences of combining work, spouse, and parent roles.
- To explore how differing perceptions of these roles contribute to gender disparities in well-being.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews.
- Study involved 40 employed married parents from a community mental health panel study.
Main Results:
- Sex differences in the perceived relationship between work and family roles were identified.
- These differences partially explain gender disparities in distress, work-parent conflict, guilt, and self-evaluations.
Conclusions:
- Gendered meanings of work and family roles influence mental health outcomes.
- Findings contribute to theories on the mental health effects of multiple role involvements by highlighting gender-specific mechanisms.