「自分の生き方」をテーマにした育児期女性への心理的支援 : Sense of Coherenceからのアプローチ

本論文では,育児不安や育児ストレスの軽減に対する「育児期の自分の生き方」をテーマにした育児期女性への心理的支援プログラムの適用に関して理論的考察を行う。続いて,その具体的取り組みの理論的枠組みとして,健康生成論の中核的健康要因であるSense of Coherence(以下,SOCと略)概念を用いた筆者らのアプローチの理論的根拠を示す。最後に,これら心理的支援プログラムがどのように育児期女性の心理的健康の向上に役立ったのか,その有効性についてこれまでの4回にわたる介入研究のデータに基づいて,SOCと参加者の基本的属性,育児不安との関連を検討するとともに,介入によるSOCと育児不安の変化を分析した。分析の対象者は心理的支援プログラムの参加者60名であり,介入前,後,2ヵ月後の3回,質問紙によってSOCと育児不安を評価した。参加対象者には,核家族世帯,専業主婦,高学歴という特徴が見られた。SOC得点は年齢が低い者ほど低く,育児不安は逆に高かった。SOCと育児不安との間には一貫して強い有意な負の相関が認められた。介入によって,SOC得点は増加するとともに,育児不安得点は減少する傾向が見られ,対象者の心理的健康度が向上する傾向にあった。とくに,SOC得点が増加した群では,有意に育児不安得点が下がった。これらの結果からSOCは育児不安などのストレス反応を軽減する健康要因として機能する可能性が示唆された。

In this study, firstly, it was theoretically investigated whether a mental health support program with a theme of 「One's own way of life」 was applicable to reduce childcare anxiety and childcare stress among women during the childcare period. Secondly, a basis of practical approach applied the sense of coherence; a core health factor of Salutogenesis, as a theoretical framework was showed. Finally, the total data of four interventions was analyzed to study the effectiveness of the program, with regard to the psychological health of the study's subjects. Psychological health was measured based on the relationships among SOC, demographic data, and childcare anxiety, and change of SOC and childcare anxiety through the intervention. The subjects in this study were sixty individuals who attended this mental health support program. These subjects were asked to fill in SOC and Childcare Anxiety scales at three different points: pre-intervention, postintervention, and a 2 month follow-up period. Features of the subjects were that they were full-time housewives of new clear families and highly educated individuals. The findings of this study were that average points of SOC were lower, and average points of childcare anxiety were higher in a younger age group compared to other older age groups. Also, a significant negative correlation was observed between SOC and childcare anxiety. Through the intervention, the subjects' psychological health tended to improve because the level of SOC tended to increase, and the level of childcare anxiety tended to decrease significantly. Especially, the level of childcare anxiety decreased significantly in the group of subjects who increased the level of SOC. According to these study findings, it is suggested that SOC could function as a health factor to reduce stress responses like childcare anxiety among women.