title: Employment, parental responsibility, and psychological distress: a longitudinal study of married women.
abstract: This paper uses 1985-1988 panel data from 745 married women in the Detroit, Michigan, US, Metropolitan Area to examine the mental health effects of employment and parenting status changes.  Contrary to popular belief, the transition to parenting is not directly related to increases in psychological distress.  Changes in employment status, however, are.  Women who significantly increase their labor force participation report lower levels of psychological distress over the study period, while women who significantly decrease their labor force participation report higher psychological distress.  The effects of labor force changes on mental health are not all modified by parenting status or changes in parenting status.  The transition to parenting and increased parenting responsibilities, however, are indirectly related to increased psychological distress insofar as they result in decreased labor force participation.  The implications of these results are used to evaluate 4 competing perspectives on the relationship between roles, stress, and psychological functioning.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wethington
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Kessler
mesh_terms: D000569:Americas; D001519:Behavior; D002654:Child Care; D002668:Child Rearing; D019049:Developed Countries; D004467:Economics; D004651:Employment; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005195:Family Relations; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008824:Michigan; D009035:Mothers; D009656:North America; D010290:Parents; D011584:Psychology; D012106:Research; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States; D014933:Women's Rights
keywords: Americas; Behavior; Child Care; Child Rearing; Developed Countries; Economic Factors; Employment Status--changes; Employment Status--women; Family And Household; Family Characteristics; Family Relationships; Longitudinal Studies; Michigan; Mothers; North America; Northern America; Parents; Psychological Factors; Research Methodology; Socioeconomic Factors; Socioeconomic Status; Stress; Studies; United States; Women's Status