Resource loss, resource gain, and emotional outcomes among inner city women.

TLDR

The study examined how economic stress, measured as material loss, changes women's personal and social resources and how these changes affect anger and depressive mood. Across 714 inner‑city women, decreases in mastery and social support over nine months were linked to higher depressive mood and anger, mediated the effect of material loss, and showed that loss had a stronger negative impact than gain.

Abstract

The authors examined a dynamic conceptualization of stress by investigating how economic stress, measured in terms of material loss, alters women's personal and social resources and how these changed resources impact anger and depressive mood. Resource change in women's mastery and social support over 9 months was significantly associated with changes in depressive mood and anger among 714 inner city women. Greater loss of mastery and social support was associated with increased depressive mood and anger. Loss of mastery and social support also mediated the impact of material loss on depressive mood and anger. Resource loss and worsening economic circumstances had more negative impact than resource gain and improving economic circumstances had positive impact, suggesting the greater saliency of loss than gain.