Brief Report: Does Mastery Buffer the Impact of Stress on Depression Among Low-Income Mothers?

Mastery is the extent to which one believes their own outcomes are under their control and is an important coping mechanism in negotiating difficult life circumstances. Furthermore, increased mastery may lead to greater psychological functioning. It was hypothesized that mastery would moderate the relationship between stress on depression among mothers living in poverty (N = 2256). Although stress predicted depression among mothers with low and high mastery, the link was stronger for mothers with low mastery. This supports the stress-buffering hypothesis, indicating that difficulties may be more predictive of depression for those with low compared to high mastery. Professionals implementing programs to assist low-income mothers may want to focus on concepts such as mastery and empowerment.