Stress,Coping, and Mental Health Among Rural,Village, and Urban Women in Tunisia

The present study investigated stressors, coping strategies, and mental health among 45 Tunisian women living in 3 distinct environments within Tunisia: a rural Bedouin community, a mid-size village, and the capital city of Tunis. Individual interviews were conducted with each woman via a semi-structured questionnaire, which allowed for the collection of qualitative as well as quantitative information. Statistical analyses indicated no significant differences between the middle-class village and urban women on stressor levels, number of coping strategies used, or levels of psychological distress. However, the rural group of Bedouin women reported significantly greater stressor levels and numbers of depressive symptoms than the village and/or urban women. The qualitative information confirmed the greater stress of the rural environment, largely due to extreme poverty. The results suggest that rapid social changes in Tunisia since independence have improved the lives of middle-class women in the villages and cities, but have had very little impact on the situations of rural Bedouin women.