Singaravel Vidhya Prasanthi, Muniyapillai Tamilarasan, Kulothungan Karthikeyan, Aswin A
Biochemistry, Government Medical College, Pudukottai, Pudukottai, IND.
Community Medicine, Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College and Hospital, Siruvachur, IND.
Cureus. 2024 Dec 4;16(12):e75103. doi: 10.7759/cureus.75103. eCollection 2024 Dec.
Background Women's psychological well-being (PWB) is influenced by various factors, including their occupational status and social roles. In India, where traditional and modern roles often intersect, understanding the PWB of homemakers and employed women is crucial for developing targeted mental health interventions. This study aimed to compare the overall and domain-specific PWB between homemakers and employed women in the Perambalur district, Tamil Nadu, using the 18-item Ryff's PWB Scale (PWBS). Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted among 308 women (172 homemakers and 136 employed women) in the Perambalur district, Tamil Nadu, using convenience sampling. The 18-item Ryff's PWBS was used to assess PWB across six domains: autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, positive relations with others, purpose in life, and self-acceptance. Sociodemographic information was collected using a structured questionnaire. The internal consistency of the scale was assessed using Cronbach's alpha (α = 0.682, standardized α = 0.709). Data were analyzed using independent t-tests for overall scores and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) for domain-specific comparisons. Results Homemakers demonstrated slightly higher overall PWB scores (69.35 ± 6.595) compared to employed women (68.21 ± 6.046), though this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.121). MANOVA revealed significant multivariate effects of working status on PWB domains (Pillai's Trace = 0.071, p = 0.001, partial η = 0.071). Significant differences were found in self-acceptance (p = 0.001, partial η = 0.048), with homemakers scoring higher, and autonomy (p = 0.050, partial η = 0.012), where employed women scored higher. Sociodemographic analysis revealed that employed women were predominantly from urban areas (80, 75.5%) and higher socioeconomic classes (n = 31, 73.8% in Class 1 and n = 49, 69% in Class 2), while homemakers were more prevalent in rural areas (146, 72.3%) and lower socioeconomic classes. Conclusion The study reveals that occupational status influences specific domains of PWB rather than overall well-being scores. While homemakers demonstrated higher self-acceptance, employed women showed greater autonomy. The absence of significant differences in other domains suggests that both groups can achieve PWB through different pathways. These findings highlight the need for targeted mental health interventions that consider occupational status, socioeconomic factors, and geographical location when addressing women's PWB. Future public health initiatives should focus on enhancing domain-specific strengths while addressing potential vulnerabilities in both groups.
女性的心理健康状况受到多种因素的影响，包括她们的职业状况和社会角色。在印度，传统角色与现代角色常常相互交织，了解家庭主妇和职业女性的心理健康状况对于制定有针对性的心理健康干预措施至关重要。本研究旨在使用18项Ryff心理健康量表（PWBS）比较泰米尔纳德邦佩兰巴卢尔地区家庭主妇和职业女性在整体及特定领域的心理健康状况。
采用便利抽样的方法，在泰米尔纳德邦佩兰巴卢尔地区对308名女性（172名家庭主妇和136名职业女性）进行了横断面研究。使用18项Ryff的PWBS评估六个领域的心理健康状况：自主性、环境掌控、个人成长、与他人的积极关系、生活目的和自我接受。使用结构化问卷收集社会人口学信息。使用Cronbach's alpha评估量表的内部一致性（α = 0.682，标准化α = 0.709）。使用独立t检验分析总体得分，使用多变量方差分析（MANOVA）进行特定领域的比较。
家庭主妇的整体心理健康得分（69.35 ± 6.595）略高于职业女性（68.21 ± 6.046），但这种差异无统计学意义（p = 0.121）。MANOVA显示工作状态对心理健康领域有显著的多变量影响（Pillai's Trace = 0.071，p = 0.001，偏η = 0.071）。在自我接受方面存在显著差异（p = 0.001，偏η = 0.048），家庭主妇得分更高；在自主性方面也存在显著差异（p = 0.050，偏η = 0.012），职业女性得分更高。社会人口学分析显示，职业女性主要来自城市地区（80人，占75.5%）和较高社会经济阶层（1类中有31人，占73.8%；2类中有49人，占69%），而家庭主妇在农村地区（146人，占72.3%）和较低社会经济阶层更为普遍。
该研究表明，职业状况影响心理健康的特定领域而非整体幸福感得分。虽然家庭主妇表现出更高的自我接受度，但职业女性表现出更大的自主性。其他领域没有显著差异表明两组都可以通过不同途径实现心理健康。这些发现凸显了在解决女性心理健康问题时，需要考虑职业状况
