The proposed study is a psychiatric epidemiologic investigation of blue collar women. The overall goal is to comprehensively assess work and non-work related sources of stress and support and to evaluate their relative contributions to the observed variation in mental health. Approximately 500 women working in a loudspeaker assembly plant in central Pensylvania will be interviewed in their homes. The interviews schedule will focus on psychological symptoms of anxiety, depression and anger; neuropsychological performance with regard to memory, visuoconstructional ability, motor speed, and attention; stress and support from work and non-work sources; and solvent exposure in the work station. By integrating work-related variables with the array of psychosocial risk foctors previously identified in epidemiologic research on the mental health of women, the proposed study will also attempt to develop an empirically derived conceptual framework which can be validated on other female occupational groups.
| Dew, M A; Bromet, E J; Penkower, L (1992) Mental health effects of job loss in women. Psychol Med 22:751-64 |
| Bromet, E J; Dew, M A; Parkinson, D K et al. (1992) Effects of occupational stress on the physical and psychological health of women in a microelectronics plant. Soc Sci Med 34:1377-83 |
| Parkinson, D K; Bromet, E J; Cohen, S et al. (1990) Health effects of long-term solvent exposure among women in blue-collar occupations. Am J Ind Med 17:661-75 |
