Question

Anna is a 44-year-old divorced mother of two teenagers. Anna's father, who lives alone in a nearby suburb, has recently been diagnosed with lung cancer. Anna needs to take her father to and from medical appointments while she tries to manage the demands of her own full-time job. She goes to the employee assistance counselor at work for help in coping with the demands of her situation. The counselor understands that the demands on Anna are too great given her available resources, a phenomenon called

a. role buffering.
b. role confusion.
c. role strain.
d. role multiplicity.

Answer 1

Anna is experiencing (option c) role strain due to the excessive demands placed on her as she juggles being a mother, an employee, and a caregiver, all of which require her time and attention.

Step-by-step explanation:

Anna is experiencing role strain, which occurs when too many demands are placed on a single role, leading to stress and difficulty in fulfilling those demands.

In Anna's case, her role as a mother, an employee, and a caregiver for her father leads to excessive strain, as she attempts to balance the demands of each responsibility.

This situation can be particularly challenging when the demands overlap, such as managing work deadlines while also caring for a dependent family member.

The concept of role strain is distinct from role conflict, which occurs when there are incompatible demands between two or more roles; however, Anna's situation can potentially include elements of role conflict as well, depending on how her various responsibilities might conflict with each other.

It's worth noting that role strain and role conflict can have significant effects on an individual’s decisions and overall well-being.