Life Challenges and Mental Health Issues of Single Mothers: A Systematic Examination (original) (raw)
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The psychosocial impact on single mothers' well-being -A literature review
Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 2024
In India, single-parent families are proliferating. In particular, women are taking the lead in assuming the role. They are the most vulnerable of all the disadvantaged groups. Due to an absence of financial and social support, single mothers endure a great deal of emotional strain. So, the aim of the study is to investigate the various psychosocial factors that influence the well-being of single mothers. Additionally, this research seeks to assess the coping strategies employed by single mothers. This article reviews 80 studies on psychosocial concerns faced by single mothers, focusing on mental health, challenges, and social support. It cites 71 publications from 80 sources from Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed, between 1980 and 2023. The study used keywords as a search strategy such as "single mother," "mental health," "challenges," and "social support." The results showed that the absence of financial resources, education, and social support had a negative impact on the emotional and social well-being of single mothers. Children of single mothers are more likely to struggle with addictions like alcoholism, tobacco use, delinquency, hazardous sexual behavior, and even suicidal thoughts due to dysfunctional parenting. As a result, single mothers use their religious convictions, support networks, and social networks as coping mechanisms. The study implies that premarital counseling and health education are essential for young couples to prevent family disintegration in the event of divorce and separation. To provide assistance and improve the overall quality of life for this vulnerable population, collaboration between government and nongovernment organizations is necessary.
A Brief Review of the Studies on Single Mothers
Shodh-Dhara, 2019
The purpose of the present paper was to review the kind of studies undertaken on single mothers. The Google Scholar database was used to access various studies across disciplines related to psychology. A customized time period of 2000-2016 was taken for the review. The findings of the review were summarized under five heads namely ‘studies depicting the negative side of single motherhood’, ‘studies on children of single mothers’, ‘research on single mothers in India’ and ‘review studies on single mothers’. Conclusion and recommendations were discussed. Keywords: single mothers, review, single parents.
Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (MJSSH)
The growth in single-parent households is a significant issue, especially because these mothers are in charge of raising and socialising future generations of a country. Recently, it is stated that they have inadequate income and have been reported to have a high level of psychological distress due to a lack of additional support in dealing with household issues. This situation has been getting worst since the pandemic Covid-19 from 2020 to 2021. Many single mothers, have lost their income, health, and economic stability as a result of the virus. This group is facing everyday inconveniences, social isolation, and financial hardship. As a consequence, they are more sensitive to emotional discomfort and disruptions in parenting. On that account, this research been organized by identifying psychological health factors that affect single mothers namely self-esteem, quality of life and financial well-being by conducting a systematic literature review which will be used to propose directi...
The Psychological Well-Being of Single Mothers with School age Children : An Exploratory Study
International Journal of Scientific Research in Science and Technology, 2021
The significance of family structure on the well-being of family members is a major concept to be discussed in contemporary society. There is an impact on the overall well-being of the families due to the lack of major relationships. Hence, the major consequences that lead to the sole responsibility of children to mothers differ among locality, culture, language, etc. This study explores the psychological well-being of single mothers in relation to their role in the family, the major concepts that impact the psychological well-being, the impact of parenting, and the modes in which the single mothers cope up with the challenges they encounter. This is a qualitative (exploratory) study conducted with nine participants chosen from a convenient method of sampling located in the Kandy District of the Central Province, Sri Lanka. The sample of the research includes three each of widowed, divorced, and separated mothers. The data is thematically analyzed based on the challenges, the economic well-being, and relationship with the family and the society, the ideologies about the current status, society’s stereotypes, autonomy, the satisfaction to the present life, and their future expectations. The results of the study demonstrated that the responsibility of children, the financial crisis, confronting the society, and lack of emotional dependence to be the major challenges of single motherhood. It further stated that most of them had a strong relationship with their children and the family in comparison to the society, they found themselves to be often treated by stereotypes, and that they preferred autonomy in women. The findings of the study demonstrate that the Government should help them with self-employment, assist in the studies of their children, and conduct certain awareness programs to enhance their lives.
The financial hardships of single mothers: A review of two decades
Single parenting is an emerging style of family arrangement globally, including in India. It has been stated that the proportion of families consisting of a single mother continually grows. Within the context of Indian society, stigma continues to persist, and households consisting of a single parent are generally seen as having a lower social status, disruption, and eccentricity. On a global level, single-parent households have increased dramatically, with single mothers constituting threequarters of all households compared to single fathers (Bernardi & Mortelmans, 2018; Golombok et al., 2016; Karunanayake et al., 2021). According to a report by UN Women cited in Talib et al. (2020), thirteen million households (4.5%) of the total household population are managed only by single mothers. As the present scenario stands, the proportion of single mothers is increasing. Single motherhood can encompass different circumstances, including being widowed, divorced, or separated, as well as choosing to adopt children while unmarried (Collins, 2015). They assume the roles of the main breadwinners and major carers following their transition to single parenthood and must manage their families by fulfilling dual roles (Kotwal and Prabhakar, 2009; Z. E. Taylor & Conger, 2017; Zakaria et al., 2019; Evans., 2011). However, single mothers have a high risk of impoverishment in developing countries (Joya Misra, 2012). In particular, they are more likely to spend their lives in poverty than single fathers (Vespa et al., 2013). The prevalence of widowhood increases dramatically with age. A small percentage of males are widowed, whereas the widowed population is overwhelmingly female. The primary reason for this gender disparity in the frequency of widowhood and divorce is that widowed and divorced males remarry at a much greater rate than widowed and divorced women (Ralte & Zehol., 2021). Single mothers are considered inadequate; as a result, they become socially marginalised and subject to extreme discrimination and contempt (Stack & Meredith, 2017; Swain & Pillai, 2005). Additionally, depression is more prevalent among those with reduced household incomes, lower levels of education, and greater job loss. (Brand & Simon, 2014; Abd Hamid & Salleh, 2013). Meanwhile, Hsieh & Leung (2015) stated that single mothers with dependent children are the most impoverished and disadvantaged of all categories. Therefore, single mothers confronted discrimination, task overload, exclusion, insecurity, and misconceptions as social obstacles (Karunanayake et al., 2021). Consequently, they require significant assistance from the governing body and society, as evidenced by the numerous cases and headlines that are still accessible and visible in today's media (Heng, 2017). Working single mothers may face more struggles than married women in balancing family commitments and job expectations (Dziak et al., 2010). Single mothers have difficulties taking care of themselves and their children when they are uncomfortable because their jobs lack numerous Abstract Globally, the proportion of single-parent households is increasing, with women comprising the majority. Economic uncertainty has a particularly negative impact on the livelihood of single mothers. As a result, the purpose of this paper is to determine how economic difficulties affect single mothers and the coping strategies they use. The literature review process involved the retrieval of scholastic articles from a variety of databases and publications, including Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar. The systematic search, which focuses specifically on single mothers in English and the fields of sociology and psychology, examines articles published in scholarly journals over the past two decades, from 2004 to 2023, and the reviews are derived from these articles. There is a correlation between the poverty of single mothers and a greater incidence of depressive symptoms, and the rate of psychological stress is significantly greater for single mothers than for mothers with partners due to financial crises. However, religion plays a crucial role in enhancing social functioning. Hence, it is critical to adopt a comprehensive strategy that incorporates modifications to policies, backing from the community, and a transformation of societal viewpoints.
Single Mothers: Strategies of Family Management and Support Systems in Relation to Health
2021
The status of women in contemporary society is a vital aspect of debates concerning gender inequality, women’s subordination, violence against women, and women’s empowerment. The responses of women to these problems vary across different social and spatial categories. One of the significant responses is the change in the family structure that leads to the emergence of single-parent families, particularly single-mother families. Few studies in the Indian context deal with the causes of rising numbers of single-mother families. Furthermore, there are no significant studies concerning the issues single mothers face. Being single and a mother is a significant challenge for a woman in Indian society. A divorced single mother faces various constraints and challenges while leading a household after the marital disruption. Single mothers face many physical and psychological problems, including taking care of herself and children in matters of health and well-being. The present study investi...
Depressive and anxiety disorders among single mothers in Dhaka
International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 2020
Background: Recent reports revealed that the number of single mothers has been increasing day by day in Dhaka city; however, their psychological problems have not been studied yet. Aim: We aimed to see the proportion of single mothers having depressive and anxiety disorders. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted under the supervision of the Department of Psychiatry, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka from August 2016 to July 2017. A total of 156 single mothers from three social strata, namely, lower-, middle- and upper-class group were included purposively. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire consisting of demography and structured clinical interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth edition, axis-I disorders, clinician version (SCID-I-CV) which were analyzed by Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17. Results: This study showed that the...