The study was conducted to find out the reasons for stress among female cashew workers in the Kollam district of Kerala, to identify the sources of stress and the ways in which the workers cope with stress, and to identify the groups for counseling. The psychological variables chosen for the study are job stress, family-induced stress, job satisfaction, ways of coping, personality components and manifestation of stress in terms of symptoms. The sample consists of 155 cashew workers selected from 39 cashew factories. The study establishes that these women workers have a combination of both job stress and family-induced stress. The paper reveals that a majority of respondents had a passive way of coping with stress. The active way of coping with stress in relation to the various castes shows that the Hindu Chetty caste is more active in coping with stress.

Women in India have established themselves as an essential component of the workforce. In Kerala, women workers comprises of about 32.3% of the total population. In the factory sector, approximately 66% of the labor force consists of women, the highest in the country. Of these, over 50% are accounted in the cashew, coffee, coir, fruit canning and match industry sectors (Nair, 1989).

Cashew, a traditional industry of the district of Kollam, occupies a unique position, as nearly 90% of the labor force are women. There are about two lakhs female cashew workers in the district. The art of the trade acquired over generations is observed often in families. The different categories in the job area are shelling, cutting, peeling and grading of cashew. It is also observed that every low income family has at least one member associated with the cashew industry in the various pockets of the district.

The problem of stress in women is an important aspect of the process of social change in India. In the past, women worked within the framework of the family system. Today, they have joined hands with men. Women work in two systems and need to perform both familial and occupational roles. This in turn leads to `role-induced stress' among working women. Several studies indicate that Indians are increasingly falling prey to depression that affects work, play, sleep, family life etc., and that women are most vulnerable to such kinds of depression.

Stress and Coping Mechanisms of Female Cashew Workers: A Study, cashew workers, sources of stress, workers cope, identifygroups, psychological variables, job stress, family-induced stress, job satisfaction, personality components, manifestation of stress.