Coiro M J
Johns Hopkins University School ol Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
Women Health. 2001;32(1-2):1-23. doi: 10.1300/J013v32n01_01.
Using data from an ongoing study of welfare recipients and their preschool-aged children, this study examined levels and correlates of self-reported depressive symptoms, and factors predicting transition off welfare assistance, among 173 low-income, single, African American mothers. Forty percent reported symptom levels that are likely to indicate a diagnosis of clinical depression, and very few had received any mental health services. Mothers who had lived as children in households that received AFDC, who had received AFDC themselves for more than five years, who perceived less social support to be available to them, and who reported more life stressors, had significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms. Controlling for these factors associated with depression, women with higher symptom levels were slightly less likely to stop receiving AFDC tor some period of time over the two years of the study, but were no less likely to work or attend school. Implications of these findings for the development of programs and services for families on welfare are discussed.
本研究利用一项针对福利受助者及其学龄前儿童的正在进行的研究数据，调查了173名低收入、单身非裔美国母亲自我报告的抑郁症状水平及其相关因素，以及预测脱离福利援助的因素。40%的母亲报告的症状水平可能表明患有临床抑郁症，而且很少有人接受过任何心理健康服务。童年时生活在领取对有子女家庭补助（AFDC）的家庭中的母亲、自己领取AFDC超过五年的母亲、认为自己获得的社会支持较少的母亲，以及报告生活压力源较多的母亲，其抑郁症状水平显著更高。在控制了这些与抑郁症相关的因素后，症状水平较高的女性在研究的两年中在一段时间内停止领取AFDC的可能性略低，但工作或上学的可能性并不低。文中讨论了这些研究结果对为福利家庭制定项目和服务的启示。
