Previous research suggested that when workers spend their evening looking at magazines or watching television, stress-hormone levels decline and elevated blood pressure.
The NYU study, of 33 male air traffic controllers – one of the most stressful of all occupations – found that the men whose wives treated them with sympathy and appreciation in the evening withdrew the most and expressed anger less. The controllers whose wives gave little emotional support didn’t recover as well from job strain.
Employed wives may not be able to withdraw as easily when they get home because of the disproportionate amount of family responsibilities still typically borne by women, says NYU psychologist Rena L. Repetti, Ph.D., who conducted the research. Repetti is designing a study that will examine the role of work stress in dual-job households.
Vol 10 Issue 3 page 4
