Abstract
Are certain types of household beneficial or detrimental to psychological well-being? This dissertation re-examines the association between household composition psychological well-being. Special attention is given to differences in these associations across social statuses, such as gender. The study had three specific aims: 1), To examine the association between household composition and psychological well-being; measured in terms of both depressive symptoms and anger 2), To evaluate whether the observed association is conditioned by social status; and 3), To examine the mediating and moderating role of social activities, social support, loneliness, and role-based stress in the connection between living arrangements and psychological well-being.
Data for this dissertation come from the Physical Challenge and Health Study. This study employed a representative sample of physically disabled Miami-Dade County community residents, and a comparison sample of non-disabled study participants who were matched on age, gender, ethnicity, and area of residence (N=1,720). The interviews were conducted between 2002 and 2004. Descriptive and multivariate results clearly indicate differences in depression and anger across the household types considered in this study. However, the findings presented suggest that this linkage is contingent upon gender. Levels of depression and anger among men and women vary markedly by living arrangement. Demographic measures and characteristics associated with the household environment explain much of these observed differences.
|
