Gender inequalities in perceived stress and the factors affecting it in infertile couples in Iranian society: a case in one of the provinces of Iran

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sima Mirzaei Moghadam ◽  
Hassan Mahmoodi ◽  
Farzaneh Zaheri ◽  
Azad Shokri

Purpose The aim of this study is to investigate the gender inequalities in perceived stress and the influencing factors in infertile couples in Iranian society. Design/methodology/approach This cross-sectional study was conducted on infertile couples who were referring to Kurdistan Infertility Diagnosis and Treatment Medical Center in 2019. Demographic and clinical information questionnaire, Newton's Infertility perceived stress questionnaire, Rosenberg's standard self-confidence questionnaire and the multidimensional scale of social support were used. Multiple linear logistic models were also used. Findings A total of 560 couples (1,120 people) participated in the study. The average perceived infertility-related stress, self-esteem scores and social support and social-emotional loneliness were 173.95 ± 41.87, 13.99 ± 2.29 and 27.81 ± 7.33, respectively, which were significantly different scores across infertility cause and sex (P < 0.05). Males compared to females had lower perceived infertility-related stress (169.93 ± 42.51 vs 177.97 ± 40.86, P = 0.001) and self-esteem scores (14.33 ± 2.29 vs 13.66 ± 2.24, P < 0.001) and social support and social-emotional loneliness (32.92 ± 9.31 vs 30.94 ± 9.04, P < 0.001). The partners who reported themselves as infertile, compared significantly higher in perceived infertility-related stress than those who reported their spouse being infertile (194.24 ± 35.33 vs 141.90 ± 39.28), lower self-esteem scores (12.77 ± 2.21 vs 13.94 ± 1.56) and social support and social-emotional loneliness score (27.81 ± 7.33 vs 30.11 ± 7.70). Also, after taking potential confounders into account with increase in each score of self-esteem, 12.19 units of stress decreases (P < 0.001, 95% CI: 11.40–12.99) and with increase in each score of social support and social-emotional loneliness, 3.45 units of stress decreases (P < 0.001, 95% CI: 3.28–3.63). Originality/value There is perceived stress among infertile couples, and this rate is higher among infertile people and women. Therefore, it seems that specific intervention programs for infertile couples should be implemented based on the results of this study, and their stress levels in a way that self-esteem and support for both partners be increased and the perceived stress among women and infertile individuals be decreased.

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cut Maghfirah Faisal ◽  
Sherly Saragih Turnip

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to compare loneliness between the left-behind children of migrant workers and the non-left-behind ones, and identify the most significant predictors of loneliness among the left-behind children. Design/methodology/approach Incidental sampling was performed to select 629 participants aged 11–16 from 5 schools in the rural areas of Karawang and Lombok in Indonesia. They filled in paper-and-pencil self-report inventories. Findings Left-behind children were significantly lonelier than their counterparts were. Emotional loneliness was more affected by parental absence compared to social loneliness. Left-behind children would be more susceptible to experience loneliness if they had more access to entertainment gadgets, experienced less support and intimacy from friends, had been left by their migrant parents more than once, were female, had low self-esteem, experienced emotional difficulties and rarely communicated with their parents. Research limitations/implications Qualitative research was needed to provide more elaborative explanation about the findings. Practical implications Parents needed to consider the psychological cost and benefit of working abroad to their children. Governments could intervene by limiting the duration and frequency of work among the migrant workers. Social implications Some beneficial implications to prevent and reduce loneliness among left-behind children were provided, such as by maintaining the frequency and quality of communication with the children, motivating and guiding the children to interact with their peers and spend less time on entertainment gadgets, as well as encouraging the children to engage in several positive activities to enhance their self-esteem. Originality/value This study enriched the understanding about complex relationship between parental presence and adolescents’ mental health despite the fact that adolescents seemed to be more interested in relationships with peers.


2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 2156759X2094063
Author(s):  
Jane E. Bleasdale ◽  
Margaret C. Peterson ◽  
Sanford Nidich

This study explored the impact of a meditation program on stress, anxiety, and depression in a high-performing high school. Using a randomized controlled design with 52 students, the study took place over 4 months. Students participated in Transcendental Meditation (treatment) or silent reading (active control) twice daily. We observed significant reductions in perceived stress ( p = .040), anxiety ( p = .028), anger ( p = .047), depression ( p = .024), and fatigue ( p = .075), and improvement in self-esteem ( p = .054). The program has important implications for school counselors because of the impact on social/emotional well-being.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenny Lau Wee Keat ◽  
Wong Siew Chin ◽  
Lim Chui Seong

The aim of current paper is to investigate the relationships between academic performance, self-esteem, perceived social support and perceived stress among the undergraduates in both Malaysian public and private universities. Research data is gathered from a sample of 144 of undergraduates from public and private universities in Malaysia. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) is employed to examine the influences of academic performance, self-esteem, perceived social support and perceived stress among the undergraduates. The results demonstrate that self-esteem and perceived social support are viewed as potential predictors of perceived stress among undergraduates.  However, there is no significant relationship between academic performance and perceived stress. Future researchers are suggested to conduct similar researches in qualitative or experimental setting in order to minimize personal bias in a longitudinal design. Current paper provides new in-depth and practical implications to all parties to pay attention in efforts to improve undergraduate’s well-being and achievement in their tertiary education stage. This paper offers new insight into the predicting factors of perceived stress among undergraduates in Malaysian context.


2012 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jong-Sun Lee ◽  
Eun-Jeong Joo ◽  
Kyeong-Sook Choi

2021 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. 465-475
Author(s):  
Ka Yeon Lee ◽  
Seong Hee Kim

The purpose of this study was to examine actor and partner effects among infertile couples in determining whether self-esteem affects the degree of infertility-related stress via perceived spousal support. The sample comprised 219 couples who experienced infertility, each of whom completed an online survey. To analyze the data, descriptive statistics, t-test, correlation analysis and APIM (Actor-Partner Interdependence Model) were performed using SPSS 25.0 and Mplus 7.3 program. The main results were as follows. First, the actor effect of spousal support on self-esteem was significant in both husbands and wives. Second, the actor effects of spousal support on infertility-related stress and self-esteem on infertility stress were significant only in husbands. Third, in the association between husbands’ and wives’ spousal support and infertility-related stress, three mediating pathways via husband’s self-esteem were found to be significant. Based on these results, the necessity for a couple-level analysis in infertility research, psycho-emotional interventions for infertile couples, and implications for follow-up studies were discussed.


Author(s):  
Sima Mirzaei-Moghadam ◽  
Farzane Zaheri ◽  
Leila Hasheminasab ◽  
Daem Roshani

Background and Objectives: In addition to physical and mental problems caused by perception of being impotent, social reactions in the society, and the economic and emotional burden of medical costs, infertility causes emotions such as fear, depression, guilty conscience, denial and uncertainty about the future. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 560 infertile couples referring to the Kurdistan Infertility Diagnosis and Therapeutic Center in 1397. Data were collected using a demographic checklist, Newton's Perceived Stress Questionnaire, and a Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale. Results: The results showed that gender variables, infertility factor and social support had a significant impact on perceived stress in infertile couples (P <0.05). Additionally, if other variables persist, as social support increases, the perceived stress decreases in the infertile couples. For the infertility cause variable, the stress levels of those who were the infertile spouse were high and the stress of the group whose wife was the infertile spouse was low, and those who were still not certain about the cause of infertility had a lower level of stress. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, the perceived stress level in infertile men is more than infertile women and the perceived stress level of respondents who were infertile themselves was more than other factors.


2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Ozer

Societal lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed everyday life across the globe, including requirements of social distancing which might limit the social support people derive from social interaction. Social support has proven to be a vital resource for well-being and coping during societal challenges. The present study examines how social support is associated with perceived stress and life satisfaction through self-efficacy and self-esteem among Danish students (N = 204). These psychological constructs were examined both during and after lockdown, assessing the possible aversive psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results did not yield any significant changes in either the mean scores of the constructs or the indirect effects model across the two timepoints. Moreover, the results indicate that social support derived from a significant person, family, and friends—but not student peers—is negatively linked with perceived stress and positively associated with life satisfaction through both self-efficacy and self-esteem. Although societal lockdown did not yield significant psychological impact, the results highlight the importance of social support among students, both during and after lockdown.


2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (7) ◽  
pp. 813-835 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaëtane Caesens ◽  
Florence Stinglhamber ◽  
Gaylord Luypaert

Purpose – The purpose of this paper are twofold. First, the authors examined the effects of two types of working hard (i.e. work engagement, workaholism) on employees’ well-being (i.e. job satisfaction, perceived stress, and sleep problems). Second, the authors tested the extent to which both types of working hard mediate the relationship between three types of work-related social support (i.e. perceived organizational support, perceived supervisor support, and perceived coworker support) and employees’ well-being. Design/methodology/approach – An online questionnaire was administered to 343 PhD students. Findings – Results revealed that work engagement mediates the relationships between perceived organizational support and job satisfaction and perceived stress. Perceived organizational support has also a direct positive impact on job satisfaction and a direct negative impact on perceived stress and sleep problems. Furthermore, work engagement mediates the influence of perceived supervisor support on job satisfaction and perceived stress. Finally, workaholism was found to mediate the relationships between perceived coworker support, and job satisfaction, perceived stress, and sleep problems. Practical implications – The findings suggest that managers should promote practices in order to foster work engagement and prevent workaholism. In line with this, the findings indicated that the most powerful source of support that fosters work engagement is perceived supervisor support. Organizations should, therefore, train their supervisors to be supportive in their role of directing, evaluating and coaching subordinates or encourage supervisors to have regular meetings with their subordinates. Additionally, the results showed that perceived coworker support is the only source of work-related social support that has a negative influence on workaholism. Managers should foster coworker support, for instance by encouraging informal mentoring among employees in order to build a strong social network. Originality/value – Because scholars argued that each type of work-related social support might have different consequences and might vary in terms of strength of associations with their outcomes, the study aimed to examine the concomitant effects of three forms of work-related social support on two types of working hard which, in turn, influence employees’ well-being.


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