The Relationship Between Sex Roles, Marital Status, and Mental Illness

Abstract

In modern Western societies women have higher rates of mental illness than men. In this article it is suggested that this difference can be attributed to the role of married women. More specifically, it is shown that married women have noticeably higher rates of mental illness than married men. In contrast, it is shown that when single women are compared with single men, divorced women with divorced men, and widowed women with widowed men, these women do not have rates of mental illness that are higher than their male counterparts. In fact, if there is a difference within these marital categories, it is that women have lower rates of mental illness.

Housework, paid work and psychiatric symptoms

“…15 In contrast, the "double satisfaction source" theory or expansion hypothesis 4 assume that employment is an extra source of satisfaction and accomplishment feelings and give access to social support. Women who are only involved in housework may feel frustrated because they generally have better abilities than those often required for housework, which is usually performed in isolation, leading to feelings of loneliness, as well as low prestige condition and financial dependency on the family breadwinner.…”

“…It has been reported that double work shift may cause role conflicts for married women because of tensions generated by marriage demands and the need to work outside the home 4 . Here, double work shift was a potential risk for women's mental health, but only among women with an education level more than elementary.…”

“…Women who are only involved in housework may feel frustrated because they generally have better abilities than those often required for housework, which is usually performed in isolation, leading to feelings of loneliness, as well as low prestige condition and financial dependency on the family breadwinner. 4 Women's perception of family having a central role in their lives, job control, autonomy or quality, and the interactions between employment and family have recently been incorporated in theoretical models in this research area. 15 It is worth noticing that feelings of loneliness or low prestige may not be associated with housework in this community, because active social interaction in daily life, known as having a protective effect against psychological distress, has been reported as an important part of the women's lives.…”

Sex Differences in Vulnerability to Undesirable Life Events

“…Marital status, numbers and ages of children, and employment status have been used to make inferences about chronic stress (Gove, 1972;Radloff, 1975;Gove and Geerken, 1977;Aneshensel et al, 1981). For example, the sex-distress relationship has been shown to be more pronounced among the married than the previously married or never married (Gove, 1972; Fox, 1980 ble for the higher levels of distress among women than men.Although provocative, this indirect line of analysis cannot take us far in understanding the processes that create distress amotig men and women. Only gross comparisons across constellations of status profiles are possible, and these lend themselves to multiple interpretations including the possibility that prior psychological status or predispositions lead to selection into or out of certain statuses.…”

“…Marital status, numbers and ages of children, and employment status have been used to make inferences about chronic stress (Gove, 1972;Radloff, 1975;Gove and Geerken, 1977;Aneshensel et al, 1981). For example, the sex-distress relationship has been shown to be more pronounced among the married than the previously married or never married (Gove, 1972;Fox, 1980). This specification has been interpreted as evidence that role-related stress and resources are responsi-*Direct all correspondence to: Ronald C. Kessler, Institute for Social Research.…”