ECONOMIC-REFORM IN THE CZECH-REPUBLIC - ECONOMIC STRAIN, DEPRESSION, HOSTILITY, AND THE DIFFERENCE GENDER MAKES

The Czech Republic is changing rapidly and its current economic transf ormation is a strain on Czech families. In this study, the connection between economic strain and individual well-being is investigated via mailed questionnaires from 234 households in the Czech Republic. For C zech women, depression rises more with economic strain than does hosti lity, while Czech men become more hostile than depressed in the face o f economic strain. For women, social support is a buffer between econo mic strain and hostility, whereas self-esteem is a buffer for depressi on. For men, both self-esteem and social support exacerbate hostility in the context of economic strain.