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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Denise M. Zabkiewicz, MPH, School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, University of California, Berkeley, 2000 Hearst Ave., Suite 300, Berkeley, CA 94709, 510.642.5208, dzabkiewicz@arg.org

While the positive effect of employment on mental health is well documented, new evidence suggests this relationship may not apply to poor women. Low-income women, who are especially vulnerable to depression, may be at increased risk of depression due to the competing demands of work and family obligations, particularly in the context of poverty. Additionally, less than adequate employment may further contribute to increased depression as poor women are more likely to be employed in low-wage, part-time jobs. This study attempts to better understand the mental health consequences of employment among poor women. Utilizing the 1999/2000 National Alcohol Survey, a nationally representative sample of U.S adults, this study will examine whether the mental health benefits of employment differentially apply to poor women. This study will also examine how employment influences alcohol consumption and whether alcohol use accounts for the relationship between employment and depression. Preliminary results suggest that the mental health benefits of employment vary by poverty status and hours of work. While full-time employment is associated with lower rates of depression among all women, poor women who are employed less than full-time do not reap mental health benefits from their employment. Other results suggest that poor working women drink more heavily compared to other women. There is however no evidence that alcohol consumption accounts for the relationship between employment and depression. Given the sizeable burden of depression among poor women, findings from this study may contribute significantly to mental health epidemiology as well as to broader policies targeting employment.

Learning Objectives:

• Assess whether the mental health benefits of employment differentially apply to poor women.
• Examine how employment influences alcohol consumption patterns.
• Determine whether alcohol consumption accounts for the relationship between employment and depression.

Keywords: Poverty, Depression

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered