Determining the perception of femininity and mental well-being levels of working women

This study was conducted using a descriptive and exploratory design to examine the relationship between working women's perceptions of womanhood and their levels of mental well-being. The study population consisted of 493 female academic and administrative staff members employed at Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University, based on institutional data accessed on October 7, 2024, from the university's website. The study sample was calculated as 217 female employees using a 50% prevalence, 5% margin of error, and 95% confidence interval, and the research was completed with 222 female staff members. Ethical committee approval, institutional authorization, and verbal consent from the participants were obtained to conduct the study. Data were collected using the Demographic Information Form—which was developed by the researchers with additional questions—the Perception of Femininity Assessment Scale, and the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale. Descriptive statistics, the independent samples t-test, the one-way ANOVA, and the Tukey post hoc test were used to analyze the data and determine differences between groups. The level of statistical significance in this study was set at p < 0.05. When socio-demographic characteristics were examined, a statistically significant difference was found between participants' educational status and their total score on the Perception of Womanhood Scale, as well as its subdimensions—social status, sexual identity status, and perception of motherhood—and it was determined that this difference stemmed from the graduate student group. A statistically significant difference was found between the participants' occupations and the Perception of Womanhood Scale and its subdimensions. It was found that this difference stemmed from the academic group; however, no difference was found in pairwise comparisons regarding the gender perception subdimension. A statistically significant difference was found between participants' child-rearing status and the total score of the Perception of Womanhood Scale, as well as its subscales—Perception of Motherhood and Perception of Gender Roles. This difference is explained by the fact that the mean score of the "has more than one child" group was higher than that of the "has no children" group.It was found that there was no significant difference between perceptions of womanhood and its subdimensions and other demographic characteristics. It was concluded that participants who exercised occasionally, did not take medication, and did not have a chronic condition had higher levels of mental well-being compared to others. A weak and non-significant relationship was found between perceptions of womanhood and mental well-being. It is recommended that efforts be made to raise public awareness regarding a more equitable approach to improving the mental health of women working as psychiatric nurses, as well as to promote the protection and enhancement of both physical and mental health.