Psychology

Working-class jobs and new parents' mental health

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Little research has explored linkages between work conditions and mental health in working-class employed parents. The current study aims to address this gap, employing hierarchical linear modeling techniques to examine how levels of and changes in job autonomy, job urgency, supervisor support, and coworker support predicted parents' depressive symptoms in a sample of 113 dual-earner couples interviewed five times across the transition to parenthood. Increases in job autonomy and decreases in job urgency predicted fewer depressive symptoms in fathers at 1 year postpartum. For mothers, coworker support predicted fewer depressive symptoms, and supervisor support mitigated the negative effects of job urgency on depressive symptoms. Higher work hours coupled with low job urgency predicted declines in mothers' depressive symptoms across the first year of parenthood. Our findings suggest that interventions that lead to greater autonomy, less job urgency, and more supportive work relations may enhance employee well-being among working-class families. © National Council on Family Relations, 2011.

Publication Title

Journal of Marriage and Family

Publication Date

10-1-2011

Volume

73

Issue

5

First Page

1117

Last Page

1132

ISSN

0022-2445

DOI

10.1111/j.1741-3737.2011.00871.x

Keywords

depression, dual-earner, job conditions, transition to parenthood, working-class families

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