This study was designed to construct a structural model for explaining mental health status in middle - aged women.

The data was collected by self - reported questionnaires from 206 middle - aged women in Seoul. Data analysis was done with the SAS pc program for descriptive statistics and a PC - LISREL Program for finding the best fit model which assumes causal relationships among variables.

The overall fit of the hypothetical model to the data was good, but paths and variables of the model were modified by considering theoretical implications and statistical significances of parameter estimates. Thus it was modified by excluding 3 paths. The modified model showed was good fit to the data(χ²=177.55, p=.00), GFI=0.908, AGFI=0.860, RMR=0.013, NFI=0.972, NNFI=0.982). Perceived stress, anger expression method, and self -esteem were found to have direct effects on mental health status in middle - aged women. These predictive variables of mental health status explained 66.6% of the model.

Programs to enhance mental health status in middle - aged women should include stress management skill, anger expression skill, and self-esteem enhancement skills to be effective.

This study was to identify the relationship between perceived stress, anger expression, and level of depression in cancer patients.

A cross-sectional descriptive study design was used. Data was collected by questionnaires from 185 in- and out-patients who were diagnosed with cancer at 3 university hospitals and the National Cancer Center using Spielberger et al.'s Anger Expression Scale, Cohen, Kamarch & Mermelstein's Perceived Stress, and Derogatise's SCL-90. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple regression with SAS/PC.

The perceived stress in cancer patients indicated a significant positive correlation to anger-in(r=.288, p=.000), anger-out(r=.232, p=.001), and depression(r=.68, p=.000), but no significant correlation to anger-control. The anger-in of cancer patients showed a significant positive relationship to anger-out(r=.53, p=.000), and depression(r=.383, p=.000), but no significant correlation to anger-control. Anger-out showed a significantly negative correlation to anger-control(r=-.248, p=.001) and a positive correlation to depression(r=.240, p=.001). The most significant predictor which influenced depression in cancer patients was perceived stress, followed by anger-in and hobby, and these factors explained their depression with a variance of 54%.

These results suggested that cancer patients with a high degree of perceived stress are likely to be high in anger-out and anger-in. Perceived stress and anger-in are major factors which affect depression in cancer patients.