STRESS AND REWARDS IN WOMENS MULTIPLE ROLES - THE CASE OF WOMEN IN THE MIDDLE

This research examined stress and rewards experienced by 95 women who were simultaneously occupying the roles of caregiver, mother, and wife . The study examined role-specific stress and rewards as predictors of well-being (physical health, positive affect, negative affect, and ro le overload) and examined the effects of an accumulation of role stres s and role rewards across these 3 roles. Role rewards contributed uniq ue variance to well-being, even after role stress had been considered. An accumulation of role stress across roles was related to poorer wel l-being, whereas an accumulation of role rewards was related to better well-being. Findings indicated that caregivers' experiences in multip le roles could both detract from and enhance their mental and physical health.