ABSTRACT
The emotional distress of this Iowa farm wife occurred in response to the bitter loss of a 1,000-acre farm. In this chapter, the authors are particularly interested in linking economic hardship to the psychological state of parents in the study. Critics have argued that most research on social support has not clearly distinguished between support, social networks and social ties, nor has it clarified the mechanisms through which friendships become a resource to counteract stressful life events or situations. One of the most consistent epidemiological findings over the recent past is that depressive symptoms are approximately twice as prevalent among females as males. Although the complexity of gender roles makes it difficult to separate sources of the differences between men and women, one theme that emerges from the literature is that women are more active participants in social interactions and receive more support, especially emotional support, from their friendships than do men.
