Family Structure and Mental Health in Urban Guyana

Abstract

While there is much descriptive information on the structural features of the Caribbean family, little data exists on mental health outcomes that may be associated with these structures. Using a sample of 654 adults from urban Guyana, this study explores the extent to which family structure is related to psychological distress. The analyses indicate that female heads of household report more depressive symptoms than women in simple nuclear settings. Sociodemographic and psychosocial factors are more consistently related to mental health than family structure.