The Penn State researchers found that 23 percent of the welfare recipients had one of the psychiatric disorders considered in the study compared with 17 percent of the non-welfare recipients. Fourteen percent of the welfare recipients had major depression versus 10 percent of the non-recipients. Agoraphobia was present among 6 percent of the welfare mothers versus 3 percent of the non-welfare mothers. The Penn State researcher cites previous studies, conducted by other researchers, which showed that individuals in the lowest social class are two and one half times more likely to have mental health problems than individuals in the highest social class. Women have nearly twice the lifetime and 12 month prevalence rates for major depression, panic disorder, agoraphobia and other anxiety and depression-based disorders, Stauffer said.
Single mothers demonstrate higher levels of psychiatric symptoms than other categories of women.
The researchers pointed out that stressful environmental and life events, ongoing strain, limited social and economic resources, and other demographic disadvantages provide a compelling explanation as to why welfare mothers are more likely to be psychologically distressed. This fact calls for greater attention to mental health problems, which may be significant in preventing some women form transitioning from welfare to work within specified time limits.