Work-Family Conflict and Depression for Employed Husbands and Wives in Japan: Moderating Roles of Self and Spousal Role Involvement

Tetsushi Fujimoto, Doshisha University, Kyoto
Sayaka K. Shinohara, Doshisha University
Tsuyoshi Oohira, Omichi-kai Medical Corporation

Regardless of the difficulty in balancing work and family in Japan, few studies have examined the relationship between work-to-family conflict (WFC) and depression for employed husbands and wives. We investigated the impact of WFC on husbands’ and wives’ depression, moderating role of own psychological family involvement in the relationship between WFC and depression, and moderating role of spouses’ family and job involvement in the relationship between WFC and depression. Using data from a household survey, we first found that the effect of WFC on depression was larger for wives. Next, husbands’ and wives’ own psychological family involvement did not moderate the relationship between WFC and their depression. Finally, spousal family and job involvement operated as moderator only for husbands. WFC decreased husbands’ depression when their wives were highly involved in job psychologically and behaviorally. However, WFC increased husbands’ depression when their wives were highly involved in family psychologically and behaviorally.