THE STATUS OF HOPELESSNESS AND RELATED FACTORS IN KOREAN FEMALE FULL-TIME HOMEMAKERS: A COMMUNITY-BASED CROSS- SECTIONAL SURVEY STUDY

Abstract Background Although the labor of full-time homemakers contributes to the stable maintenance of society as much as that of working women, social attention and support to full-time homemakers is relatively insufficient. Accordingly, a psychiatric evaluation of the mental health status of full-time homemakers is required. Aims & Objectives This study aimed to investigate the status of hopelessness and related factors in community-dwelling female full-time homemakers, and to evaluate the necessity of policy approaches to the full-time homemakers as a high-risk group for mental health. Method This survey study were sequentially and randomly conducted targeting community-dwelling full-time female homemakers aged 19 to 50, using structured questionnaires composed of general items as well as the Korean version of Beck Hopelessness Scale (K-BHS), the Korean version of the Glasgow Sleep Effort Scale (K-GSES), and Resenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). The monetary values of the labor of individual full- time homemakers were measured through the willingness-to-pay (WTP) approach. Results A total of 180 questionnaires were distributed, of which 154 were analyzed. In the frequency analysis, the total proportion of hopelessness group was 62.3%, of which 42.2% was for the mild level, 16.2% for moderate level, and 3.9% for the severe level. In between-group comparative analyses [Normal group (n = 58) vs. Hopelessness group (n = 96)], significant differences were manifested in the length of career (t = - 2.667, p = 0.008), level of social activity (t = 2.762, p = 0.008), degree of emotional bond with husband (t = 2.339, p = 0.021), K-GSES (t = -2.459, p = 0.015), and RSES(t = 5.380, p <0.001). Furthermore, in binary logistic regression analysis, significant negative factor for the transition to the hopelessness group was level of social activity (p = 0.021; odds ratio (OR), 0.694; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.508 - 0.946), and significant positive factor was the score on K-GSES (p = 0.041; OR, 1.155; 95% CI, 1.006 – 1.328). Discussion & Conclusion The findings of this study showed that a substantial number of female full-time homemakers might be in a state of hopelessness, implicating that full-time homemakers are at high-risk for mental health and suicide. Therefore, policy and psychiatric intervention to promote and recover mental health of full-time homemakers is essential.