MATERNITY LEAVE AND WOMEN'S MENTAL HEALTH

The Wisconsin Maternity Leave and Health Study addresses an important policy issue, parental leave, by investigating the work status, maternity leave, and mental health of 570 women. In the longitudinal design, the women, all of whom were living with a husband or partner, were interviewed during the fifth month of pregnancy, 1 month postpartum, and 4 months postpartum. At 4 months postpartum, full-time workers, part-time workers, and homemakers did not differ in depression or anger, but full-time workers showed elevated anxiety compared with the other two groups. In multiple regression analyses, length of leave interacted significantly with marital concerns when predicting depression; women who took a short leave (6 weeks or less) and were high on marital concerns had the highest depression scores. Short maternity leave can be conceptualized as a risk factor that, when combined with other risk factors such as marital concerns, places women at greater risk for depression.     

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND WOMEN'S MENTAL HEALTH IN CHILE

Domestic violence against women is a pervasive, global health problem. This study investigates the correlates and psychological outcomes of domestic abuse among women in a semi-industrial country. The participants included 215 mothers residing in working-class communities located on the outskirts of Santiago, Chile. We utilized structural equation modeling to test the hypothesis that poverty and other structural inequalities would be related to incidents of domestic abuse in Chile, as they are in the United States. Our results suggest that lower socioeconomic status, even within poor communities, and stressful life events have a direct relationship to domestic conflict. Domestic abuse was, in turn, associated with women's mental health such that greater domestic conflict was related to higher reports of depressive affect and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. The importance of identifying similarities and differences in the occurrence of domestic violence in developing countries as compared to industrialized countries is discussed.     

SEXUAL ASSAULT HISTORY AND WOMEN'S REPRODUCTIVE AND SEXUAL HEALTH

Associations of sexual assault history with reproductive and sexual symptoms were evaluated in 3,419 women randomly selected from two communities. Sexual assault was associated with excessive menstrual bleeding, genital burning, and painful intercourse (whether or not attributable to disease or injury), medically explained missing two menstrual periods, and medically unexplained dysmenorrhea, menstrual irregularity, and lack of sexual pleasure. Physically violent assaults and those committed by strangers were most strongly related to reproductive symptoms. Multiple assaults, assaults accomplished by persuasion, spouse assault, and completed intercourse were most strongly related to sexual symptoms. Assault was occasionally associated more strongly with reproductive symptoms among women with lower income or less education, possibly because of economic stress or differences in assault circumstances. Associations with unexplained menstrual irregularity were strongest among African American women; ethnic differences in reported circumstances of assault appeared to account for these differences. Assault was associated with sexual indifference only among Latinas.     

WOMEN'S PERSPECTIVES ON FEMINISM

This Q-methodological study identified and described women's multiple perspectives on feminism. Fifty Q-sort items reflecting various perspectives represented in feminist theory were developed. These items were rated by 59 women along a "most agree"–"most disagree" dimension Principal components analysis was used to identify groups of women who sorted the items in similar ways. Six distinct points of view were identified in the Q-sorts, five of which are discussed in detail. The five perspectives were interpreted and labeled based on the examination of the Q-sorts of the participants in each group. Follow-up interviews with selected participants also contributed to the understanding of these perspectives. The research demonstrates the multidimensional nature of the feminism construct. Future research on feminism should recognize the multiple ways of conceptualizing feminism in order to represent the construct as women experience it.     

AN EXAMINATION OF WOMEN'S PERSPECTIVES ON POWER

Historically, theoretical and popular conceptions about power have not included or addressed women's experiences. This study adds to the growing body of knowledge about women by examining women's perceptions of and relationship to power. One hundred twenty-five women, ranging in age from 21 to 63, were asked to define and explore power through a variety of structured and open-ended questions. The results showed that women's definition of power differed significantly from their perception of society's definition of power, as well as from the way power has traditionally been conceptualized. More theoretical and empirical attention should be given to understanding the role of personal authority in both women's and men's experience of power.     

论心理健康素质

心理健康素质是在素质教育和心理健康教育研究基础上提出的一个新概念。本文主要探讨了心理健康素质问题研究的实践意义和理论基础;构建了心理健康素质的框架结构,解释了心理健康素质的内容,要素及其涵义;并对心理健康素质的影响因素作了简单阐释。     

高师生心理健康教育实验研究

本文采用自然教学实验的研究方法,探讨心理健康教育对高师生健康信念、健康行为和健康水平的影响,以高师９５级大学三年级学生１２６个为实验组,进行５４个课时的心理健康课程教学,并以同校同级学生１０９个对照组。采用健康信念和健康行为调查表和Ｃａｗｔｅ健康量表,对实验组和控制组被试进行调查和测试。结果表明,心理健康教育不仅明显改善了高师生的健康信念和健康行为,而且提高了他们的身心健康水平。     

THE EFFECTS OF CHILDHOOD FAMILY STRESS ON WOMEN'S DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS:

This study uses a life course approach to observe the interaction between stressful childhood events and recent undesirable events to predict depressive symptoms in women. Data are from a community sample ( N = 205) of adult daughters from the Cornell Women's Roles Project, aged 26–58 years. Results indicate that women who experienced mild stressors during childhood are less likely to have depressive responses to undesirable events than are those who did not have stressful family backgrounds. This buffering influence appears to be partially mediated through a woman's belief in her control over external events. In the absence of childhood strains, a close father–daughter relationship during childhood may also teach women protective mastery skills. Overall, findings suggest that women's differing depressive responses to undesirable events follow a developmental pathway beginning with early childhood experiences. We suggest that the milder childhood stressors measured in this study stimulated an adaptive family environment from which these women were able to garner life course coping strategies.     

THE LONG-TERM IMPACT OF WOMEN'S STUDIES ON STUDENTS'PERSONAL LIVES AND POLITICAL ACTIVISM

Stake, Roades, Rose, Ellis, and West (1994) reported that women's studies classes led to more feminist activism and greater personal courserelated changes than nonwomen's studies classes. The present study tested the durability of the positive changes observed in women studies students 9 months following the last week of class. Comparisons between students who participated at follow-up (26.3%) and students who did not participate indicated that the follow-up participants were representative of all students who completed the courses. In the follow-up sample, class impact reported in the last week of class was sustained at follow-up. Women's studies students continued to report substantial changes in their interactions with others and willingness to adopt new roles and behaviors. Ratings of positive effects were significantly higher than ratings of negative effects ( p < .0001). Students'responses indicated they were using their women's studies learning as a framework for understanding their experiences and making lifestyle changes.