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Mental health of middle aged working

women Mr. Game Vishal Raghunath

M. Sc. Mental Heath Nursing.

Abstract

Mental health of middle aged working women Method: Quantitative approach using Exploratory Descriptive Study design. Sample size was 60 and the sampling technique used was Quota Sampling. Results: About 92% middle aged working women suffered mild level of stress in the study. Discussion: The overall assessment reveals that though the subjects are normal in general, but a substantial proportion is at risk of developing psychosocial stress generated problems that may affect their mental health. Modification in coping strategies and planned interventions are desirable.

Statement of the problem

‘A study to assess the mental health of

middle aged working women in selected

areas of Pune’

Objectives of the study:

1. To assess the mental health of middle

aged working women.

2. To find the association between

findings of mental health with selected

demographic variables of middle aged

working women.

Introduction:

Middle age is the bridge between

adulthood and old age, which requires

special attention. During this period, in

addition to physical and social changes

some psychological changes also occur like

fear of losing control, dependence on

someone, beginning of realization that

youth is getting over and old age is nearer,

fatigue, lack of sexual interest, loss of

memory, more tension etc. which may

affect the overall well-being and positive

mental health of women. A working

woman bearing dual role responsibility

one in family and other at job, when cannot

discharge her duties equally efficiently

feels tense and continuous tension creates

stress which in turn may affect her mental

health status. During middle age some

biological changes like menopause, aging

coupled with psychosocial factors and

work-family conflict may generate

irritation, frustration, anxiety, depression

etc. in these women. The problems of

working women are multidimensional and

differ from woman to woman. Many

studies have been done related to women

and their mental health. A study on

working women, family environment and

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mental health indicated that there were

significant differences in the family

environment and mental health of working

and non-working women. Mental health

scores highlight that working women are

trapped in a situation where they are

getting difficulty in coping strategies to

deal with it effectively and get mentally

strained. Excess work, less freedom, high

need for motivation and working situations

are powerful source of stress among

working female. Therefore, emotional

balance, adjustment process, tolerance

level and other personality attributes are

under great threat, which affect negatively

the mental health.

Review of literature:

The review of literature is organized under

the following headings:

1. Review of literature related to Mental

Health.

2. Review of literature related to Middle

aged working women and their Mental

Health.

Warning signals of poor Mental Health:

William C. Meninger, President of the

Menninger Foundation, Topeka, Kanas, and

United States of America drew up the

following questions to aid in taking one’s

mental health pulse:

1. Are you always worrying?

2. Are you unable to concentrate because

of unrecognized reasons?

3. Are you continually unhappy without

justified cause?

4. Do you lose your temper easily and

often?

5. Are you troubled by regular insomnia?

6. Do you have wide fluctuations in your

moods from depression to elation, back

to depression, which incapacitate you?

7. Do you continually dislike being with

people?

8. Are you upset if the routine of your life

is disturbed?

9. Do your children continually get on

your nerves?

10. Are you “brown off” and constantly

bitter?

11. Are you afraid without real cause?

12. Are you always right and the other

person always wrong?

13. Do you have numerous aches and pains

for which no doctors can find a physical

cause?

According to Manisha Singh (2006)

Banaras Hindu University has conducted

descriptive survey method on 'Assessment

of Mental health' status of middle aged

female school teacher of Varanasi city'. A

random sample of 50 middle aged female

school teachers working in government

girl's school. The researcher concluded

that the mental health score highlight that

working women are trapped in a situation

where they are getting difficulty in coping

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strategies to deal with it’s effectively and

get mentally strained.

According to Yoon HS, Cho YC (2006).

Department of Public Health, Graduate

School of Chungnam National University,

has conducted experimental research on

‘Relationship between job stress contents,

psychosocial factors and mental health

status among university hospital nurses in

Korea’. The present study was intended to

assess the mental health of nurses working

for university hospitals and to establish

which factors determine their mental

health. Self-administered questionnaires

were given to 1,486 nurses. Result of the

study showed that the factors influencing

mental health status among subject nurses

included sociodemographic characteristics

such as age, number of hours of sleep,

number of hours of leisure, and subjective

health status; job-related characteristics

such as status, job satisfaction, job

suitability, stresses such as demands of the

job, autonomy, and co-worker support; and

psychosocial factors such as self-esteem,

and locus of control. Based on the study

results, improvement of mental health

status among nurses requires the

development and application of programs

to manage job stress factors and/or

psychosocial factors as well as

sociodemographic and job-related

characteristics.

Methodology:

Figure-12.1: schematic representation of

steps of research design.

Non-experimental descriptive survey

Purpose

To assess mental health of middle aged working women

Study setting

Selected areas of pune

Target population

Middle aged working women in selected areas of maharashtra

Sampling technique

Non probability quota sampling

Sample size

60 middle aged working women

Tool for data collection

Rating scale

Data analysis

Descriptive and inferential statistics

Conclusion and dissemination

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Research approach

Quantitative approach

Research design

Exploratory Descriptive Study

Setting of the study

The present study will be undertaken in

selected areas of Narhe.

Population

In the present study the Target population

comprises of the middle aged working

women in Pune. Accessible population

comprises of middle aged working women

in selected areas of Narhe.

Sample

In the present study the sample comprises

of the middle aged working women

between 40-60 years of age residing in

Narhe.

Sample size – 60

Sampling technique – non probability

disproportionate Quota Sampling

technique

Inclusion criteria:

1. Middle aged working women between

40-60 years of age.

2. Middle aged working women willing to

participate in the study.

Exclusion criteria:

1. Middle aged working women who don’t

know reading and writing English, and

Marathi.

2. Middle aged working women who are

known cases of psychosomatic

disorders.

Table 12.1: Description of mental health

assessment tool:

Section

I

Socio-demographic data sheet

Section

II

• Semi-structured

• Rating/Likert Scale based on

Psychosocial Stress Scale

(Indian Council of Medical

Research),

• Family-Work Conflict (Singh

Manisha, Indian Journal of

Clinical Psychology),

• General health questionnaire

(Goldberg and Hiller)

Validity of the tool:

The tool was validated from eleven experts

for section I and II.

Reliability of the tool:

Reliability of tool was obtained by split half

method,

r1 = 2r/1+r,

Where r = ∑XY/√∑X2∑Y2

where,

r1=estimated reliability of the entire tool,

r=Pearson’s correlation coefficient,

∑=summation,

√=square root.

The reliability score of the tool estimated

0.94.

Pilot study:

The pilot study was done to assess the

feasibility of the study, to check the

language feasibility (English and Marathi),

practicability, objectivity, validity and

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- Near about 58% of sample showed

mild stress and 10% showed moderate

stress due to physical dysfunctions.

- 90% samples had no significant stress

due to perimenopausal symptoms and

about 10% samples had mild level of

stress due to perimenopausal

symptoms.

- About 77% samples showed mild stress

due to psychological dysfunctions.

- Among all samples 48% showed mild

stress due to economical difficulties

and 10% showed moderate level of

stress.

- About half sampled showed mild stress

and other showed no significant stress

due to adverse situations.

- 16% samples showed moderate stress

and 42% mild stress due to family work

conflict.

- 92% of samples showed mild stress

level and remaining 8% showed no

significant stress level.

- There is no association between Age,

Education status, Marital status,

Religion, Type of family, Children in

family, Individual income, Family

income, and Menopausal status with

mental health findings as the P value is

greater than 0.05 and 0.01, and only the

occupation and individual income

demographic variables show

association with the mental health

findings as P value is 0.0000, 0.0010

respectively less than 0.05 and 0.01.

Conclusion:

The overall assessment reveals that though

the subjects are normal in general, but a

substantial proportion is at risk of

developing psychosocial stress generated

problems that may affect their mental

health. Modification in coping strategies

and planned interventions are desirable.

References:

- Bhati, H. and Gunthey, R. (1999)

Working women: Family environment

and mental health. Indian Journal of

Clinical Psychology. 246-249.

- Jayanthi K.N. (2010).Mental Health

Problems of Homeless and their Needs.

Indian Journal of Psychiatric

Nursing.78-81.

- Nathawat, S.S. (1997).Value based

quality of life. Indian Journal of clinical

Psychology.101-102.

- Osborne, M.(1984). Depression at the

menopause. British Journal of Hospital

Medicine. 126-129.

- Yawen, C. (2000). Association between

psychosocial work characteristics and

health functioning in American women:

prospective study. British Medical

Journal. 1432-1436.