Financial Strain and Psychological Distress: The Mediating Effect of Work-Family Interface

• In Event: 2266 - Family Section Roundtables (1 hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: 3. Family, Relationships, and Mental Health

Abstract

Although a large body of research has established that financial strain is associated with deleterious mental health outcomes, little is known about the potential mediating mechanisms, which might limit the extent to which scholars understand how and why financial strain impairs mental health. Using the three waves (2011-2015) of the Canadian Work Stress and Health Study (CAN-WSH) along with structural equation models, we ask: (1) does work-family interface (i.e., work-to-family conflict and family-to-work conflict) mediate the relationship between financial strain and psychological distress. And (2) do any observed patterns differ for men and women. Our results indicate that work-to-family conflict mediates the relationship between financial strain and psychological distress. However, there is little evidence suggesting the mediating effect of family-to-work conflict. Moreover, we observe that some paths appear to differ for men and women. The research and policy implications of the findings are discussed.

Authors

• Lei Chai, University of Toronto

• Alex E. Bierman, University of Calgary

• Scott Schieman, University of Toronto