I haven't had a home cooked meal in I don't know when. Oh, and what's a CLEAN house?
Posted on 11/10/2001 4:53:06 AM PST by truthandlife
Working men with stay-at-home spouses are less likely to be depressed, says a new study, but the reverse is true for women.
When the wife is home looking after the kids and building family ties in the community, life sails along much more easily for the man of the house, according to the study of British civil servants published today. It also found men whose partners take full-time work were more depressed.
Researchers, however, found career women face greater levels of depression if their partner is not working. Last night, Stephen Stansfeld, one of the study's co-authors, said: "The way we were seeing this is that for men who were working and the wife was at home, then probably in that situation women are much better at making social contacts with neighbours and friends.
"But the other way round men don't cope so well. It may be also for men that being at home and unemployed is not so acceptable a role."
"This could affect the woman who is working.
"We need to do more research on that," Mr. Stansfeld said.
He said other factors that could affect working women and depression was the amount of money coming into the house and how the domestic chores were shared.
The researchers also found that women with little control over their environment, either at work or home, are at highest risk of depression.
The study, prepared for the Economic and Social Research Council by psychiatrists at Queen Mary's School of Medicine in London, is part of a study that has followed 10,000 civil servants for two decades.
Earlier findings from the study have intrigued public health and social observers because of their revelations about the social forces affecting health. It has previously shown that high-ranking civil servants are much healthier -- and less likely to die or suffer the ill-effects of heart disease -- than their underlings.
Today's study helps explain why by drawing out factors -- on both the work and the home fronts -- that contribute to stress and depression.
In the workplace, the researchers found a sense of empowerment and control helps explain why higher-level civil servants have a lower rate of depression than those in the lower ranks.
"This makes common sense, but on the other hand this is something we can do something about. There is an intervention factor; we can give people more variety at work, we can reduce depression," said Mr. Stansfeld.
On the home front, social networks proved a key factor. "Stay-at-home partners in particular were perceived as particularly beneficial at taking responsibility for the family and developing community ties," says Dr. Vicky Cattell, the other co-author of the report. Another finding, which will not surprise many, is that money can make life a lot easier.
"One of the key findings of our research is that stress factors which lead to mental illness may be on a sliding scale which correlates with social class," says Mr. Stansfeld.
The study, reinforcing findings of research by other groups, found that low-level jobs can be a hazard to people's mental health. They can generate "a huge sense of frustration at lack of promotion or feeling overburdened by demands whilst having little freedom of choice in the matter." Disruption of the people's work groups was also flagged as a risk factor.
Women in low or middle employment levels who reported little control over their environment either at work or home were at most risk for depression.
Homeschool Bump
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There is a "natural order"and we know it in our hearts
"We need to do more research on that," Mr. Stansfeld said.
Pay someone to figure out what everyone's known for the past 100 years? Where do I sign up?
Presumably, promotion would depend on performance, no matter what the level of the job.
THIS NEEDS MORE STUDY! Maybe a "promote yourself" day for depressed workers--whoops, sorry--occupation specialists.
So, is mama packin' heat to keep the neighborhood safe?
My bride stays at home and I guarantee no bad guy will want to pi$$ her off by treading on or around ours or our neighbors' property.
Well, duh!
Mrs. Tac has both worked and stayed home. She's much happier when she stays home and much less happy when she's working. And when the momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.
I say that our home is a business. My wife is CEO, and I am the venture capitalist, providing the funds to run it. My wife stays home and takes care of our child (soon to be children). She runs the checkbook, pays our bills, does the shopping, etc. I just work 10 hours a day to make sure she has the money to do these things. Works out great.
It's a damn shame that people are so selfish these days (aside from the economic requirements in some cases) that they don't realize that this is the ideal situation for both all involved, particularly the children. Day care is evil - don't think otherwise. The bonding that is disrupted between parent and child will be a terrible burden on the family for years to come.
I haven't had a home cooked meal in I don't know when. Oh, and what's a CLEAN house?
I'd never marry a woman who aspires to anything other than being a good wife and mother first and foremost.
(Of course, if she dabbled in poetry or painting on the side that would be harmless and maybe even a plus--but no authors of fictional prose, thank you. In fact, not even readers of popular fiction need apply.)
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