Depression and Anxiety among Low and Middle-Income Turkish Women: The Roles of Coping, and Personal and Environmental Resources/Düşük ve Orta Gelirli Türk Kadınlarında Depresyon ve Anksiyete: Baş Etme ve Kişisel ve Çevresel Kaynakların Rolü

Abstract

Introduction: Psychosocial theory of mental well-being suggests that coping, socioeconomic status, environmental resources such as perceived and received social support, and personal resources such as self-efficacy can be related to psychological well-being. The current study aims to discuss differences in well-being and psychological resources of Turkish women with low and middle-income. It also aims to examine the differences among lower income women’s well-being according to receiving non-governmental organization (NGO) support. Finally, it studies the link between income level, self-efficacy, perceived social support, ways of coping with stress, depression, and anxiety among Turkish women with different income levels. Method: Out of 129 women participated in the study (Mage = 39.12), 60 are with middle-in- come, and 69 are with low-income. Twenty-eight of those with low income receive NGO support. Results: Findings indicates that middle-income women are coping more effectively and have high- er perceived social support, while low-income women significantly report more depressive symptoms. Low-income women with NGO support report more symptoms, perceive less social support, and are coping less effectively than women without NGO support. Hierarchical regression analysis reveals that coping styles, self-efficacy, income level, and perceived social support are associated with depression. Moreover, coping styles and perceived social support are related to anxiety. Conclusion: Personal resources like coping and self-efficacy seem to be the most significant predictors of depression and anxiety. However, poverty is still a serious environmental risk to well-being.