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Our purpose was to determine levels of role commitment, role conflict, depression, self-esteem, and life satisfaction among a community-based sample of working Filipino women. The convenience sample consisted of 87 Filipino working women, ranging in age from 18 to 59 years. Participants completed instruments assessing self-esteem, depression, life satisfaction, and role conflict. Our analyses revealed that participants who were equally or more committed to work than relationships had significantly higher depression scores, self-esteem scores, and levels of education than participants who were committed primarily to relationships. There were no significant differences among role commitment type on role conflict and life satisfaction. We found significant interactions between experiences of depression, self-esteem, and the perceptions of self. From our study findings our knowledge of working Filipina American's psychological well-being has increased and provided a foundation for future research.

Theories and studies about the psychological processes of midlife propose a transition that may result in a more integrated personality structure throughout the second half of life. This more integrated structure includes concepts such as generativity, self-assertion, and independence. However, this structure, especially in early middle-age, can be affected by a life-threatening health disruption such as heart disease. One hundred and fifty-five women participated in a cross-sectional survey designed to investigate depression in early middle age, midlife, and elderly women who had undergone heart surgery. Women aged 40-55 years composed the early middle-age group, women aged 56-65 years composed the midlife age group, and women aged 66+ years were identified as the elderly age group. Affective components of depression were measured by asking participants to respond to three items regarding frequency of sadness, depression, and "the blues." Affective depression scores were summed and a mean score derived. Mean scores significantly differed by age group (F [2, 152] = 3.05, p =.05). Older women in the study fared better than their younger counterparts in terms of depression scores after a major cardiac health disruption. Post hoc comparisons indicated that mean scores for the early middle-age participants were significantly higher than for the midlife and older participants. Depression in the context of a cardiac health disruption appears to be linked to the developmental stage of a woman's life trajectory on which it is superimposed.

Presented are the results of a secondary analysis of group data from a study of a six-week role conflict reduction intervention among a group of urban American Indian women (n = 8). The specific aim of this researcher was to understand the process of balancing multiple roles as expressed in the participants' daily lived experiences as mothers, wives, and workers. A construction of the process of balancing multiple roles was accomplished through the use of narratives. Balancing multiple roles represented a major current attempt on the part of the participants to integrate and balance traditional and contemporary feminine strengths in a positive, culturally consistent manner. The study themes included: traditional sex role expectation conflicts, family guilt, guilt management, transitioning inner conflict and stress, breaking the silence-learning to say no, and healing the spirit to reclaim the self. Further support for retraditionalization of roles for this group of Indian women was maintained as an effective means of balancing roles and achieving Indian self-determination.

In this preliminary study, sex role orientation, role conflict, depression, self-esteem, and life satisfaction were measured in working women. The convenience sample consisted of 106 working women, mostly white, ranging in age from 22 to 62 years. Analyses of the data revealed that participants who were undifferentiated in sex role orientation had significantly higher depression scores, lower self-esteem scores, and lower life satisfaction scores than the androgynous and cross-typed groups. There were no significant differences among the sex role orientation types on role conflict scores. Intriguing comparisons among depression, self-esteem, life satisfaction, and sex role orientation were found. Further research is needed to understand the role of gender in psychological problems, the symptoms associated with them, and how women respond to them.

The present study was designed to investigate the relationship between sex role orientation and age in women working in a traditional occupation. It was hypothesized that older working female nurses would be more androgynous in sex role orientation than their younger counterparts. Ninety-eight female registered nurses ranging in age from 30 to 59 completed the Personal Attributes Questionnaire and sociodemographic data. Contrary to prediction, age had no significant effect on sex role orientation. It was concluded that (a) no change in masculinity/femininity self-descriptions occur over time, (b) only some women change, and (c) changes may proceed in different directions in response to shifts in role responsibilities or other situational events.