The Cultural-Emotional Contradiction and Depression in Late Married Women: A Comparative Study of Working and Homemaking Women

Abstract

     The present study aimed to explore the cultural-emotional contradiction and depression in women experiencing late marriage, comparing working and homemaking women. Two approaches were used, the clinical approach and the descriptive-analytical-comparative approach. Individual clinical interviews were conducted with the study sample and they were also administered the Beck Depression Inventory. The results showed that women in late marriages had psychological and relational disturbances that manifested in depressive symptoms, whether behavioral, emotional or social. These women experienced various psychological disturbances, such as feelings of disappointment, anxiety and especially loneliness, even if they lived in a cohesive family environment. This explains their struggle with cultural-emotional contradictions as long as society perceives them as incomplete individuals, considers spinsterhood a shame, and regards marriage as a shield for women, giving them a distinct social position within the family and the community. In addition, the results showed differences in depression among late married women based on the following variables: work, age, educational level and economic status, favoring working women.