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Marriage, motherhood and psychiatric morbidity in New Zealand

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

S. E. Romans-Clarkson ,
V. A. Walton ,
G. P. Herbison  and
P. E. Mullen
S. E. Romans-Clarkson*
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychological Medicine and Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
V. A. Walton
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychological Medicine and Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
G. P. Herbison
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychological Medicine and Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
P. E. Mullen
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychological Medicine and Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
*
1 Address for correspondence: Dr S. E. Romans-Clarkson, Department of Psychological Medicine, Sixth Floor, Dunedin Public Hospital, Private Bag, Dunedin, New Zealand
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Synopsis

The prevalence of psychiatric disorder, as assessed by both the GHQ-28 and the short PSE, is described for a random community sample of New Zealand women. In contrast to previous studies, married and widowed women and mothers showed lower rates than the never married and childless women. A plausible explanation is provided by available analysis of New Zealand gender roles. Such an explanation would reconfirm the importance of socio-cultural factors in community psychiatric disorder.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 18 , Issue 4 , November 1988 , pp. 983 - 990
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1988

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