Stress and Coping Experiences of Women in Transition: From Welfare to Work

<p>Welfare reform and the consequent emphasis on employment represent a stressful sequence of events in the lives of women who are already facing the chronic stressors associated with single parenting and poverty. The current study assessed the levels of distress, factors contributing to distress, and coping resources utilized among a sample of 60 mothers who were making the transition from welfare to work. Ninety percent of the women were single or separated, and 71 percent were African American. All were receiving public assistance from two neighboring social services agencies in Virginia.</p> <p>Psychological distress was measured by the Brief Symptom Inventory (Derogatis, 1993). Coping resources included several specific coping strategies which were measured by the Ways of Coping scale (Folkman & Lazarus, 1988) and dispositional hardiness, measured by the Hardiness Scale (Bar-tone, Ursano, Wright, & Ingraham, 1989). Perceived Social Support from Family and Friends was also assessed (Procidano & Heller, 1983).</p> <p>Findings greatly augment the research base on hardiness by demonstrating the importance of this construct among a sample of low-income minority women. Results indicated that Hardiness was associated with reduced distress (<em> r</em> = −.35, <em>p</em> < .01) and with working more months in the last year (<em>r</em> = .27, <em>p</em> < .05). Perceived Social Support from Friends was also associated with reduced distress levels (<em>r</em> = −.29, <em>p</em> < .05). None of the coping strategies from the Ways of Coping scale related to reduced distress; however, women's attempts at Distancing from their problems were related to increased distress (<em>r</em> = .42, <em>p</em> < .01). Only two variables in the study accounted for a significant proportion of the variance in women's distress; these were Hardiness (<em> R</em>2 = .18, <em>p</em> < .01) Distancing (R2 = .09, <em>p</em> < .05). Findings suggest the importance of assessing among women in job readiness programs. Welfare recipients who try to from problems may experience greater distress and require intervention.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Year dc:date.available

2001

Author dc:creator

• Gill, William Jesse

Contributors dc:contributor

• W. Larry Ventis
• Darlene G. Colson
• Michelle Kelley
• Neill Watson
• Joseph Galano

• Coping
• Stress
• Transition
• Welfare to work
• Women
• Clinical Psychology
• Public Policy
• Social Work

Statement dc:rights

• <p>In Copyright. URI: <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).</p>

Identifier

9780493565088

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.odu.edu:psychology_etds-1228