The Effects of Work Status on Depression and Happiness in Aged Women

Description

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18427335

Sraboni Chatterjee (Department of Psychology, Bijoy Krishna Girls’ College, Howrah, West Bengal)

The current study investigates the association between these two psychological factors within each group and looks at differences in depression and happiness among aged working and non-working women. Using particular inclusion and exclusion criteria, a sample of 100 married women between the ages of 50 and 55 from the Kolkata metropolitan area-50 of whom were employed and 50 of whom were not-was chosen. General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) (Goldberg & Hiller, 1979) has been utilized to screen participants to rule out mental disorders. Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ) (Hills & Argyle, 2002) has been utilized for assessing happiness, and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) has been utilized to measure depression. Data was analysed using independent sample t-tests, correlation analysis, and descriptive statistics. Outcomes showed that, relative to aged non-working women, aged working women reported significantly lower levels of happiness and significantly higher levels of sadness. While there was no significant link between these variables among working women, there has been low but substantial negative correlation between sadness and happiness among non-working women. Outcomes imply that women who continue to work into old age may experience more psychological strain, possibly as a result of cumulative role pressures and work-related stress. Current research focuses on how crucial it is to take psychosocial and occupational status into account while treating mental health, along with the well-being of aged women.