The International Journal of Indian Psychology
ISSN 2348-5396 (Online) | ISSN: 2349-3429 (Print)
Volume 11, Issue 2, April-June, 2023
DIP: 18.01.043.20231102, DOI: 10.25215/1102.043
https://www.ijip.in
Research Paper
The Relationship between Perceived Stress and Psychological
Well-being among Working Women and Housewives
Vishal Yadav1*, Neetu Yadav2*, Shilpa Sharma3
ABSTRACT
This study examined the relationship between psychological health and perceived stress
among Jammu housewives and working women. A correlational research methodology
investigated the association between psychological discomfort and the well-being of working
women and housewives. N = 150 women (75 working women and 75 housewives) of various
ages (M = 33.93, SD = 11.07) participated, all from Jammu. Ryff's Scales of Psychological
Well-Being and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) were used to measure psychological well-
being and perceived stress, respectively. A correlation design was employed, and a t-test and
Pearson product-moment correlation were used. The present study's findings showed a
significant difference in perceived stress between housewives and working women.
Moreover, similar scores exist between housewives and working women on psychological
well-being. Further, results showed a negative relationship between perceived stress and
psychological well-being among housewives and working women.
Keywords: Perceived Stress, Psychological Well-being, Working Women, Housewives,
Health
I ndian government research states that women need to be given more social, economic,
educational, and political power so they may make decisions about their mobility,
financial independence, political engagement, public speaking, and awareness of their
rights. Today, women's responsibilities change as they become more committed to their
families and careers. Working women experience various forms of stress and strain as a
result. Numerous mental diseases affect women more frequently than men. According to
national data from the United States (N = 9,282), 8.6% of women and 11.6% of women
meet the criteria for depression, and 11.6% of women match the mood disorder (Moe, 2012;
Kessler et al., 2005).
Women are two times more likely than men to have depression and two to three times more
likely to experience anxiety disorders such as panic disorders, phobias, obsessive-
1
Guest Faculty, Department of Psychology, Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi VishwaVidyalaya, Wardha,
Maharashtra, 442001.
2
Ph. D. Research Scholar, Department of Library & Information Science, Pondicherry University, Puducherry.
3
M.A. Student, IGNOU RC Jammu.
*Corresponding Author
Received: February 18, 2023; Revision Received: April 25, 2023; Accepted: April 29, 2023
© 2023, Yadav, V., Yadav, N. & Sharma, S.; licensee IJIP. This is an Open Access Research distributed under the
terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which
permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any Medium, provided the original work is properly
cited.
The Relationship between Perceived Stress and Psychological Well-being among Working Women
and Housewives
compulsive disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder (Lewinsohn et al., 2001; Moe,
2012). Kessler et al., 2005; Moe, (2012) Women's psychological well-being (PWB) is a
significant concern because they experience severe mental problems. Working women
frequently struggle with role conflict or conflicting roles. Role conflict has been linked to
reports of psychological discomfort, strain in mind, anxiety, etc., all of which impact the
psychological health of working women. They have psychological issues due to their outside
work, including worry, stress, burnout, exhaustion, etc. (Abirami et al., 2019).
When an individual's resources are insufficient to handle the demands and pressures of the
circumstance, stress, a psychological and physical state, ensues. Stress is, therefore, more
likely to occur in some circumstances than others and in some people than others. Goal-
achieving can be hampered by stress for both individuals and organizations. Stress is
brought on by the environment's extreme ambiguity and unpredictability. While some
professional stress is natural, excessive stress can adversely affect relationships, home life,
physical and emotional health, productivity, and performance. Even the outcome of the job
can depend on it. Workload (both excessive and insufficient work), lack of participation and
control in the workplace, monotonous or unpleasant tasks, lack of recognition at work,
inequity, poor interpersonal relationships, poor working conditions, poor leadership and
communication, and conflicting demands from home and the workplace are some factors
that contribute to increased workplace stress (Maulik, 2017). In addition to the fact that
work, money, and family are the three main stressors, other things, including parenting,
pregnancy, change, caring for others, and social isolation, can also be stressful.
An individual's perception of their stress level at a particular moment or over an extended
period is expressed in feelings or thoughts. Perceived stress includes thoughts about how
unpredictable and uncontrollable one's life is, how frequently one needs to deal with
annoying hassles, how much change is taking place, and confidence in one's capacity to
handle issues or problems. It measures how a person feels about how difficult their life is
overall and their capacity to handle stress rather than the sorts or frequency of stressful
events that have happened to them. Similar traumatic life events may affect people
differently, depending on various characteristics, including personality, coping mechanisms,
and social support.
The lack of negative thoughts and the predominance or growths of positive ideas are
indicators of psychological well-being. It covers many topics, such as leading an active
lifestyle, achieving emotional equilibrium, having a good outlook on life, and finding
personal fulfillment. It encompasses fulfilling a person's ideals, aspirations and needs as a
result of actualizing those talents in their circumstances. Most psychological well-being
theories concentrate on comprehending the makeup or dynamics of psychological well-being
(i.e., the causes and consequences of PWB). Carol Ryff's model and the division of
psychological well-being into hedonic and eudemonic components are recognized
explanations for its composition. An individual's psychological well-being, satisfaction, and
happiness are all influenced by six elements, according to Carol Ryff's hypothesis known as
the Six Factor Model of Psychological Well-Being.
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Moe (2012) conducted a study identifying factors critical to women's psychological well-
being. Findings showed that Psychological distress and PWB were firmly and inversely
© The International Journal of Indian Psychology, ISSN 2348-5396 (e)| ISSN: 2349-3429 (p) | 420
The Relationship between Perceived Stress and Psychological Well-being among Working Women
and Housewives
correlated, suggesting that the constructs are more directly related than previously
identified.
Winefield et al. (2012) state that psychological distress and well-being are mutually
exclusive. In order to evaluate the mental health of married working women living in
Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India, Panigrahi et al. (2014) conducted a study. 32.9% of research
participants had poor mental health, according to the findings, and just 10% of these women
had sought any form of mental health care. According to a logit regression study, three
predictors—a positive attitude from coworkers, discussing personal issues with the husband,
and scheduling time for yoga, meditation, and exercise—had a substantial positive impact on
the mental health of married working women.
In a study by Choudhary and Ahmad (2017), the psychological well-being of housewives
and working women in the Mithila region of North Bihar was compared. The findings
showed that elderly housewives had lower levels of psychological well-being than elderly
working women. Additionally, both groups of older women, need social and emotional
support from their respective families and social institutions According to Sinha's (2017)
research, working women had higher psychological well-being than homemakers or non-
working women since they scored lower on the PGI Health Questionnaire than homemakers,
which was statistically significant.
Smadi (2019) studied a sample of working women and housewives in the menopausal stage
to determine their degrees of psychological burnout. The statistical analysis results, or t-test,
revealed statistically significant differences in the psychological burnout of housewives
compared to working women, suggesting that work positively impacts women's lives. The
risk factors for psychological burnout are associated with the physical dimension, which is
consistent with the nature of the menopause stage and the age of the sample study.
The research was done by Abirami et al. (2019) to evaluate the psychological health of
women working in an industrial setting. According to the findings, most workers (67%) and
women exhibited low psychological well-being levels According to Chawla and Sharma
(2019), psychological capital and perceived gender equity impact employee well-being,
particularly for women. They also examined whether social support and commitment
mediate these associations. The results of this study showed that perceived gender equity in
the workplace has a favorable influence on male and female employee well-being, with the
female benefit being more robust.
In contrast to working men, working women reported higher levels of psychological
distress, according to Bilodeau et al. (2020). Additionally, they discovered that indicators
directly linked to a higher level of psychological distress include women who were more
exposed to work-to-family conflict, had less control over decision-making, were more likely
to be single parents, and had lower self-esteem (Zaheer & Khan, 2022). In contrast to men,
Viertio et al. (2021) reported increased psychological suffering. The most significant risk
factors for psychological discomfort were loneliness, unhappiness at work, and family-work
conflict. In Rajasthan, India, Lokeshwari and Monika (2021) found that women had higher
subjective well-being than men.
According to Franzen et al. data from 2021, lower academic satisfaction levels were strongly
connected to depression, whereas higher grades were linked to psychological well-being.
© The International Journal of Indian Psychology, ISSN 2348-5396 (e)| ISSN: 2349-3429 (p) | 421
The Relationship between Perceived Stress and Psychological Well-being among Working Women
and Housewives
Women are more prone than males to worry and feel stressed, although neither gender is
associated with depression or mental health. Women's obligations are evolving in today's
competitive environment as they devote more time to their families and careers. Role
conflict or conflicting roles are common problems for working women. Role conflict has
been connected to stress, anxiety, and other mental health problems that affect working
women.
Even though there has been much research on perceived stress and psychological well-
being, the factors in the current study are very different from those in the reviewed studies.
Two factors are used in the current study: psychological well-being and perceived stress.
The correlation between these two factors is essential, particularly for the population of
working and stay-at-home mothers. Because of this, the current study's factors and its
differences from the evaluated studies' areas, populations, and samples make it unique.
Therefore, it is essential to investigate the connection between psychological well-being and
perceived stress among Jammu housewives and working women.
Objectives
• To assess working women's and housewives' perceived stress and psychological
well-being.
• To investigate the relationship between perceived stress and psychological well-
being among working women and housewives.
Hypotheses
• Working women and housewives experience significantly different levels of
perceived stress and psychological well-being.
• Working women and housewives will negatively affect perceived stress and
psychological well-being.
METHOD
Sample
The sample for the present study comprised 150 women, including 75 working women and
75 housewives from Jammu.
Inclusion Criteria:
Women living in Jammu and working in an Organization
Housewives who live in Jammu
Exclusion Criteria:
Women who are above 60 years old
Women diagnosed with any mental health issues
Research Design
To determine the association between psychological discomfort and the wellbeing of
working women and housewives, a correlational research design was used in the current
study.
© The International Journal of Indian Psychology, ISSN 2348-5396 (e)| ISSN: 2349-3429 (p) | 422
The Relationship between Perceived Stress and Psychological Well-being among Working Women
and Housewives
Tools for data collection
• Demographic data sheet: Preliminary information like age, marital status,
educational qualification, type of company, working hours, family type, number of
children, and other details were collected using this sheet. The participants filled out
this personal data sheet before filling out the perceived stress and psychological well-
being scales.
• Psychological Well-Being (PWB): There are 42 items total in the Ryff inventory.
Ryff created the psychological well-being scale (1995). It consists of statements
representing the six components of psychological well-being: self-acceptance,
environmental mastery, personal growth, and positive relationships with others.
• Perceived Stress Inventory: One of the most often used instruments for
determining psychological stress is the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) (PSS; Cohen,
Kamarch & Mermesltein, 1983). It is the most commonly used psychological tool for
gauging stress perception. It gauges how stressful someone perceives their life's
circumstances to be. Items were created to understand how unpredictably chaotic and
overburdened respondents find their lives to be.
Statistical Analysis
In this study, descriptive statistics were used. The data were analyzed using the mean,
standard deviation, t-test, and Pearson correlation coefficient.
RESULTS & DISCUSSION
150 women participated in this study, including housewives (N = 85) and working women
(N = 65). Table 1 shows that among all the participants, 117 (78%) were married, 27 (18%)
were single, and 6 (4%) were widowed. Further, 30% of the participants (N = 45) were
graduates, 29.4% of the participants (n = 44) were post-graduates, 26% (n = 39) had done
high school, 9.3% (n = 14) were intermediates and 5.3% (n = 8) were diploma
holders.63.3% (n = 95) of the participants lived in a joint family environment, and 36.7% (n
= 55) lived in a nuclear family. 84% (n = 126) of participants had no illness, and 16% (n =
24) had minor illnesses like blood pressure, thyroid, diabetes, etc.
Table 1A Descriptive Analysis of Participants (N=150) on the Demographic Variables
(Marital Status, Profession, Educational Qualification, Family Type, and Any Illness)
Variables N %
Marital Status Married 117 78.0
Single 27 18.0
Widowed 06 4.0
Housewife 85 56.7
Profession
Working Woman 65 43.3
Diploma 08 5.3
Graduate 45 30.0
Edu. Qualification High School 39 26.0
Intermediate 14 9.3
Post Graduate 44 29.4
Joint 95 63.3
Family Type
Nuclear 55 36.7
Yes 24 16.0
Any Illness
No 126 84.0
© The International Journal of Indian Psychology, ISSN 2348-5396 (e)| ISSN: 2349-3429 (p) | 423
The Relationship between Perceived Stress and Psychological Well-being among Working Women
and Housewives
Table 2 showed that the Mean and SD scores revealed that perceived stress was higher
among working women (M = 22.74, SD = 11.19) than housewives (M = 18.28, SD = 10.80).
Further independent t-test was used for mean comparison. The t-test result for perceived
stress showed a significant difference between working women and housewives: t (148) =
2.46, p = 0.015. (See Fig.1), It indicates that working women perceive more stress than
housewives. Results showed that the null hypothesis was rejected, and the alternative
hypothesis was accepted. The present study, supported by previous studies conducted by
Harshpinder and Sandhu in 2004, found that working women have a higher stress level due
to different environmental factors. Usha, Rout, Cooper, and Helen (1997) found more stress
among working women due to mental diversions.
Table 2 t-test for the difference between the Mean of housewives and working women for
perceived stress
Profession N Mean Std. df t p
Deviation
Housewives 85 18.28 10.80
Perceived
Working 148 2.465 .015
Stress 65 22.74 11.19
Women
25
20
Mean score
15
10
0
Housewives Working Women
Fig. 1 Perceived stress among Housewives and working women.
Table 3 t-test for the difference between the Mean of housewives and working women for
psychological well-being
Profession N Mean Std. df t p
Deviation
Housewives 85 193.83 30.10
Psychological
Working 148 1.08 0.28
Well-being 65 199.10 29.20
Women
Table 3 showed that the mean score and SD score revealed that psychological wellbeing was
higher among working women (M = 199.10, SD = 29.20) than housewives (M = -
193.83, SD = 30.10); further independent t-test was used for mean comparison. The
psychological wellbeing result showed no significant difference between working women
and housewives t (148) = 1.08, p = 28. (See Fig. 2). It indicates that the feeling of
© The International Journal of Indian Psychology, ISSN 2348-5396 (e)| ISSN: 2349-3429 (p) | 424
The Relationship between Perceived Stress and Psychological Well-being among Working Women
and Housewives
psychological wellbeing is approximately equal among working women and housewives.
Results showed that the null hypothesis was accepted, and the alternative hypothesis was
rejected study supported with (Zaheer & Khan, 2022).
210
200
190
Mean score
180
170
160
150
Housewives Working Women
Fig. 2 Psychological wellbeing among Housewives and Working Women
Table 4 Correlation between perceived stress and psychological well-being among
housewives and working women.
Correlations
PSS PWB
Pearson Correlation 1 -.196*
PSS Sig. (2-tailed) .016
N 150 150
Pearson Correlation -.196* 1
PWB Sig. (2-tailed) .016
N 150 150
*. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).
Table 4 shows the relationship between perceived stress and psychological well-being
among working women and housewives. It can be seen that there was a significant negative
correlation between perceived stress and psychological well-being (p = 0.016), showing that
as the psychological well-being score increases, the perceived score decreases.
CONCLUSION
This study investigated the levels of perceived stress and psychological well-being among
homemakers and working women and the relationship between perceived stress and
psychological well-being among homemakers and working women. The results showed that
working women had higher perceived stress than homemakers, whereas there was no
difference in psychological well-being between homemakers and working women.
This finding correlates with Winefield et al. (2012), who mentioned that the variables
positively associated with psychological well-being was negatively associated with
© The International Journal of Indian Psychology, ISSN 2348-5396 (e)| ISSN: 2349-3429 (p) | 425
The Relationship between Perceived Stress and Psychological Well-being among Working Women
and Housewives
psychological distress and vice versa. Further, perceived stress had a statistically significant
negative relationship with psychological well-being. This study shows that perceived stress
can be reduced by increasing psychological well-being.
Findings from this study will be helpful for policy-making and subsequent research studies
that can be conducted on similar variables. This study will help put the focus of mental
health experts on the mental health issues faced by homemakers and working women in
Jammu. This study will help convince the institutions to design special training programs to
help working women optimize their perceived stress and improve their psychological well-
being. This study will help evolve training modules for working women, enhance their
performance, and foster positive personality traits leading to better mental well-being and
quality of life.
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Acknowledgement
The author(s) appreciates all those who participated in the study and helped to facilitate the
research process.
Conflict of Interest
The author(s) declared no conflict of interest.
How to cite this article: Yadav, V., Yadav, N. & Sharma, S. (2023). The Relationship
between Perceived Stress and Psychological Well-being among Working Women and
Housewives. International Journal of Indian Psychology, 11(2), 419-427. DIP:18.01.043.
20231102, DOI:10.25215/1102.043
© The International Journal of Indian Psychology, ISSN 2348-5396 (e)| ISSN: 2349-3429 (p) | 427
