Marriage, motherhood and psychiatric morbidity in New Zealand.
The prevalence of psychiatric disorder, as assessed by both the GHQ-28 and the short PSE, is described for a random community sample of New Zealand women. In contrast to previous studies, married and widowed women and mothers showed lower rates than the never married and childless women. A plausible explanation is provided by available analysis of New Zealand gender roles. Such an explanation would reconfirm the importance of socio-cultural factors in community psychiatric disorder.
Romans-Clarkson
S E
SE
Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Walton
V A
VA
Herbison
G P
GP
Mullen
P E
PE
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology*; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D009520:New Zealand; D010298:Parity; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors