Socio-economic and Gender Disparities in PsychologicalDistress and Marital Adjustment Among Spouses ofHepatitis C Patients: A Quantitative Assessment

Abstract

The present study examines differences in psychological distress and marital adjustment between
spouses of Hepatitis C patients based on socioeconomic and gender status, specifically addressing
dissimilarities in emotional and couple functioning due to economic and gender disparities.
Hepatitis C is a chronic and progressive disease, and there is a substantial caregiver burden
required, which should increase stress and negatively impact marital quality. With the data
collected from 200 spouses of Ayub Medical Complex and Combined Military Hospital
Abbottabad Pakistan, this research investigates the moderating effects of economic resources and
gender roles on psychological distress and other factors pertinent to marital satisfaction, such as
affection expressing marital adjustment and dyadic cohesion. Results identified by the study show
that compared to spouses with higher SES, participants with lower SES have significantly elevated
levels of psychological distress and reduced marital adjustment, indicating the role of economic
stress in caregiver stress. The female spouses continue to display higher levels of distress and
lower marital satisfaction and cohesiveness than male spouses, replicating the usual female
gender role expectations of the traditional caregiver. Also, gender and economic level crosstabulations show differences in coping and support seeking and, hence, mental health and
relationship quality. These results indicate the further imperative of targeting specific
psychological and social support for economically disadvantaged and female carers to alleviate
their specific known burdens, providing a foundation for developing policies dealing with marital
stress in chronic illness situations, among other proposals