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Patterns of Neuroticism, Work-Family Stress, and Resources as Determinants of Personal Distress

A Cluster Analysis of Young, Dual-Earner Families at the Individual and Couple Level

Published Online:January 01, 2007https://doi.org/10.1027/1614-0001.28.3.150

Abstract

Abstract. Based on a sample of 632 German-speaking dual-earner couples from three European countries (Austria, Germany, and Switzerland) with at least one child aged 1 to 5 years, three different clusters representing specific risk patterns of low vs. high levels in (1) personality (neuroticism), (2) work- and family-related stress, and (3) personal and social resources were identified and related to the level of personal distress expressed by the corresponding female and male risk groups. At the individual level, the results showed marked differences in personal distress depending on which risk pattern the persons belong to. Moreover, compensatory effects that reduce the impact of high neuroticism on personal distress were found. Gender differences in personal distress were significant, albeit relatively small, for all three risk groups. At the couple level, when analyzing different within-couple constellations of risk patterns showed that concordant within-couple risk patterns corroborate both partners' gender-specific levels of personal distress whereas in discordant-couple constellations, with one partner belonging to a high and the other to a low individual risk pattern, no buffering partner-effects were found. Differential intervention strategies for reducing the level of personal distress are suggested.

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