Does work pay psychologically as well as economically? The role of employment in predicting depressive symptoms and parenting among low-income families.
This longitudinal study examined quantity and quality of maternal employment as predictors of depressive symptoms and parenting style in a sample of 94 low-income mothers whose 4-year-old children were enrolled in Head Start at baseline. Results suggest that answers to the question of whether work "pays" are complex: Findings suggest some benefits of greater employment participation while also indicating that women holding lower prestige jobs experienced increases in their use of negative parenting style, net of baseline demographic and psychological characteristics. Sparse evidence for selection processes was found, with cohabitation and maternal depressive symptoms modestly predictive of subsequent maternal employment. Implications of these findings for welfare reform and educationally related policies for low-income families are discussed.
Raver
C Cybele
CC
Center for Human Potential and Public Policy, Irving B. Harris Graduate School of Public Policy Studies, University of Chicago, IL 60637, USA. cybele@uchicago.edu
D000328:Adult; D044383:Black People / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D018479:Early Intervention, Educational; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D009518:New York; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D011203:Poverty / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015406:Single Parent / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001741:Black or African American