Conflicting sex-role expectations,housework dissatisfaction,and depressive symptoms among full-time housewives

Little research has been conducted on the factors that influence a full-time homemaker's attitudes toward housework, and the influence of satisfaction with housework on psychological well-being. Data from a community survey of 134 full-time housewives showed that the greater the degree of conflict in the marital dyad over expectations for the female role, the greater the dissatisfaction of the housewife with housework. It was further demonstrated that the more dissatisfied a woman was with housework, the more likely she was to suffer from depressive symptoms. Finally, the results suggest that the greater the degree of conflict over sex-role expectations, the higher the depressive symptom score of the housewife.