Emotional support and well-being of midlife women: role-specific mastery as a mediational mechanism.
This study examined the relationships among emotional support, mastery, and well-being for 258 women who simultaneously occupied the roles of wife, mother, parent care provider, and employee. Its primary aim was to determine if a greater sense of mastery in each of these 4 roles could explain the relationship between emotional support from the partner or partners in the same role (the husband, children, impaired parent, or work supervisor) and better psychological well-being (less depressive symptomatology and more life satisfaction). Findings revealed that more emotional support from each of the 4 role partners was related to a greater sense of mastery in that same role. Furthermore, for each of the roles of wife, mother, and employee, role-specific mastery was a mediating mechanism in the relationship between support from the role partner or partners and better well-being.
Martire
L M
LM
Department of Psychology, Kent State University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. martire+@pitt.edu
Stephens
M A
MA
Townsend
A L
AL
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly / Q000523:psychology; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012944:Social Support; D014931:Women, Working / Q000523:psychology*