Date of Award

Fall 12-1-1992

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Communication Disorders and Counseling, School, and Educational Psychology

First Advisor

Reece Chaney

Second Advisor

Elizabeth Schilson

Third Advisor

Walter Sullins

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to determine if wives of politicians differ from other wives in terms of symptoms of stress and social support. There were N = 50 political wives and N = 68 nonpolitical wives who served as subjects. Using the General Health Questionnaire-28, the two groups were compared on aspects of stress (e.g., somatic symptoms, anxiety and insomnia, social dysfunction, and severe depression) and coping (e.g., emotional and practical support as measured by the Significant Others Scale). The results indicated that political wives report more stress symptoms than nonpolitical wives. Significant differences were also found between the groups on aspects of social support. For example, political wives reported more often than nonpolitical wives that they received too much support. Possible explanations for this are that political wives may overcompensate for their needs, may believe less social contact allows them more privacy, and may believe that accepting less from others limits any quid pro quo in terms of political or social favors.

Download

Share

COinS