Analysis of Depression Rates among Working and Non-Working Women in Karachi

Background: Women frequently navigate the dual responsibilities of home and work. Although their participation in the workforce is on the rise, their domestic obligations have not diminished. This balancing act can create unavoidable work-family conflicts, often leading to job dissatisfaction and heightened stress. Nevertheless, employment can serve as a beneficial outlet, offering women a way to relieve some of the burdens associated with their household duties. Objective: We aim to compare the quality of life and depression/anxiety of a working woman vs a stay-at-home woman in Karachi. Methods: Place and duration of study: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 women aged 20-50 years irrespective of their occupation, marital status, and number of children in Karachi to determine the prevalence of depression in working vs non-working individuals using PHQ-9 and HAD scales and quality of life was assessed. An Independent t-test was computed to see the association of depression among working vs non-working women. Results: The mean age of the participants was 33.2+7.7 years. The mean HAD depression score in working women was 14.8+7.9 and in non-working women was 15.3+8.7 showing depression was more common in stay-at-home women. Conclusion: Depression tends to be more prevalent among women who are not a part of the workforce. The findings hint that the blues tend to visit non-working women more often, painting a clearer picture of the challenges they might face in day to day lives of Pakistani women.