Stress among Working Widows and Widowers: A Comparative Study

Abstract

No one can escape from stress and it affects individuals across all age categories, sex, conditions, and may leads to many physiological as well as psychological issues. Death of the soul mate or life partner is a bad and stressful time for widows and widowers as they enter into a new phase of life and a challenging society. Stressful events are differently deal by Widows and widowers. Few of them being pressured and stressed about finding and getting a suitable work and job or a suitable remarriage if possible. Gender, age, culture, sex are the key factors of stress. The present research study was done to examine the Gender differences in perceiving stress among various types of environmental conditions and situations during the widowhood or widower hood. It was hypothesized that there would be no significant differences in gender regarding stress and widows would be higher on their stress level as compare to widowers. The sample consisted of 100 widows and 100 widowers of above 18 years from different areas of Haryana. Data collection was done by convenient sampling technique. Perceived Stress Scale by Cohen was used in the present study in order to assess the level of stress. Results revealed that widows perceived more stress as compare to widowers. Thus, widows perceived stress is more or high than widowers. Widows were suggested to get counseling by psychologist.