The stressfulness of daily social roles for women: Marital, occupational and household roles

Levels of self-reported depressive syptoms for women who occupy different roles, the nature of specific strains and stresses in three roles (marital, occupational and housework) and their consequences for the psychological well-being of women are reported for a probability sample of women (N = 197) in an urban community in the Northeast. Results of detailed measurement models designed to replicate the structure of role strains initially proposed by Pearlin and Schooler (1978) are described. Strains and stresses are lower in family roles than in occupational or housework roles, but when they do occur they have more severe consequences for the psychological well-being of women than occupational strains and stresses. Strains predict distress through role-specific stress, with strains deriving from interpersonal conflicts making the strongest contribution to role-specific stress. Participation in multiple roles modifies the impact on depression of stress generated by a particular role, with buffering effects of work on marital stress and exacerbating effects of parenthood on occupational stress.