The Impact of Working Conditions, Social Roles, and Personal Characteristics on Gender Differences in Distress

Abstract

This article analyzes gender differences in employee distress. Work stress has been studied differently for males and females. For males, the predominant focus has been on job conditions; for employed women, the focus has usually been on the multiple demands of domestic and work roles. In this analysis, we combine both approaches, examining the effects of working conditions, nonwork roles, and personal characteristics on self-reports of depression, irritability, and psychophysiological symptoms. Our study population consists of 992 Canadian postal workers, about half of whom are female. We find that males and females respond similarly to stressful jobs, although women tend to report slightly higher levels of distress. Regression analysis reveals that, while gender does exert a small but significant net effect, perceived job characteristics—especially receiving competing demands and the degree of variety and challenge—are the best predictors of distress. Nonwork social roles have no significant effect on distress.