J Korean Acad Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs.  2010 Sep;19(3):339-347. 10.12934/jkpmhn.2010.19.3.339.

Factors Predicting Depressive Symptoms in Employed Women: Comparison between Single and Married Employed Women in Korea

• Kim S
• Nam KA
• Lee H
• Hyun MS
• Lee H
• Kim HL

• KMID: 2321847
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.12934/jkpmhn.2010.19.3.339

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study was done to compare factors predicting depressive symptoms in single and married employed women.
METHODS
A comparative study using a cross-sectional survey design was used. The participants were 373 single and 355 married women. Measurements used for this study were demographic and work-related characteristics, physical conditions, self-efficacy, stressful life events, and depression. The SAS 9.1 program was used for descriptive statistics, chi2 test, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation analysis, and stepwise- multiple regression.
RESULTS
Single employed women (SEW) had higher scores for stressful life events than married employed women (MEW), but there was no difference in depression between the groups. In examining the factors predicting depression, stressful life events and self-efficacy explained a portion of the variance in depression for both groups. Family monthly income and working hours were significant variables for SEW, while satisfaction with marriage and role as wife was significant for MEW.
CONCLUSION
These results suggest that the mental health of MEW is not worse than it is for SEW, and they do not suffer from multi-role strain. Although different variables explained depression for these women, family-related factors are especially important to MEW.

Keyword

Depression; Working women

MeSH Terms

Cross-Sectional Studies
Depression*
Female
Humans
Korea
Marriage
Mental Health
Spouses
Women, Working

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