Impact of Work Schedule, Race, and Psychological Distress among Impoverished Mothers

Objectives: We tested the relationships among work schedule, race, and psychological distress in impoverished working mothers. Methods: Baseline data from a longitudinal cohort study of impoverished mothers (N = 285) were analyzed. The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) was utilized to measure levels of psychological distress. Multivariate models including interactions between work schedule and race were used. Results: Results indicate that mothers working nonstandard schedules reported more psychological distress symptoms and overall psychological distress compared to mothers working standard schedules. Although race did not moderate the relationship between work schedule and psychological distress, we did find that black/African-American mothers reported less psychological distress compared to white participants. Conclusions: Policy implications include collaboration between employers and local agencies to address disparate mental health outcomes based on shift work. Further research is needed to determine specific individual and community supports needed for impoverished working mothers.