SOCIAL SUPPORT AND MENTAL ILL HEALTH AMONG OLDER HOUSEWIVES by Aradhana Srivastava and Reeta Kumar
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- SOCIAL SUPPORT AND MENTAL ILL HEALTH AMONG OLDER HOUSEWIVES by Aradhana Srivastava and Reeta Kumar
- Price : 200.00
- Published on May 29, 2013
- Global Vision Publishing House
- Language - English
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About this issue
The life expectancy of both men and women has gradually been increasing in the past few decades due to improvement in medical facilities and its availability to larger number of people leading to an increase in the proportion of elderly people in the population. However, factors like the fast pace of life, smaller family norm, breaking of joint family system, and industrialization are leading to conditions where despite lengthening of survival, maintenance of mental health of elderly people especially that of women is not receiving as much attention as required. In the literature on the elderly, women in general and elderly housewives in particular, have so far been neglected. This present study, hence, aims at assessing the perception of received social support and mental ill health of elderly housewives in the age range of fifty years and above. Mental Health Questionnaire which assesses six aspects of mental ill health, (Free floating anxiety, Obsessive traits and symptoms, Phobic anxiety, Somatic concomitant anxiety, Neurotic depression and Hysteric traits and symptoms) and Social Support Scale which assesses functional aspects of perceived social support in four areas viz. emotional, companionship, informational and tangible/practical were administered on 35 housewives in the age group 50-60 yrs and 35 housewives aging 60+yrs belonging to similar socioeconomic status. Results indicate that older women (60+yrs) had significantly higher levels of Free floating anxiety, Obsessive traits and symptoms, Phobic anxiety, Somatic concomitant anxiety, & Neurotic depression as well as total Mental ill health scores as compared to younger women (50-60yrs). No difference existed between older and younger women on all areas of perceived social support. Correlational analysis revealed that high levels of companionship as well as emotional support was associated with lower levels of obsessive traits and symptoms, somatic concomitant anxiety, neurotic depression and Overall mental ill health only within older (60+) group. However, no significant association between social support and measures of mental ill health existed within younger (50-60yrs) women. Results seem to suggest the importance of companionship and emotional support for maintenance of mental health for older housewives. Results have been discussed in view of the changes in the familial and social conditions of the housewives as they grow older and suggestions for improving the quality of their lives have been presented.
About SOCIAL SUPPORT AND MENTAL ILL HEALTH AMONG OLDER HOUSEWIVES by Aradhana Srivastava and Reeta Kumar
Journal of Indian Health Psychology Vol. 4, No. 1, September, 2009