A comparison of the self-reported mental and physical stress of working and full-time homemaker mothers—a UK pilot study

Abstract

There is continuing debate over whether employed mothers or mothers who are full-time homemakers experience more stress. The pilot study described in this article compares the self-reported occurrence of physical and psychological stress in two groups of mothers with children of UK primary school age (i.e. children aged 4–11 years of age), namely working mothers and mothers who are full-time homemakers. Seventy of the former and 24 of the latter, all with at least one child attending the same primary school, participated in the study. Physical health, three aspects of mental health (free-floating anxiety, somatic anxiety and depression) and stress-coping strategies utilized were measured. Few differences were found between the two groups of mothers, though full-time homemakers indicate significantly more depression than working mothers. The predictors of physical ill-health and mental ill-health were examined. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.