The effect of marital and migrant status on the psychological distress of low socioeconomic mothers and their children in Israel

Abstract

Children who live in conditions of poverty are at high risk for developmental and emotional difficulties. This study compared the psychological distress of migrant workers in Israel and their children with the psychological distress of low socioeconomic Israeli mothers and their children. We hypothesized that migrant working mothers and their children would show higher levels of distress than Israeli mothers and their children, and that single mothers and their children would show higher levels of distress than married mothers and their children. Three hundred and twenty-three mothers aged 25–59 and their children aged 6–12 participated in the study. One hundred and sixty-seven mothers were migrant workers, mostly from the Philippines, and 156 were Israeli working mothers of low socioeconomic status. One hundred and fifty-seven of the mothers were married and 143 were single. The mothers completed a measure of psychological distress and measures of their children's behavioral problems, psychological functioning, and satisfaction with life. The children completed measures of negative life events, subjective competence and psychological functioning. Overall, hypotheses were confirmed for children but not mothers, although migrant mothers reported higher levels of depressive symptoms than Israeli mothers. Levels of psychological distress were similar in single versus married mothers. In contrast, children whose mothers were migrant workers or single working mothers were at significantly higher psychological risk than children of Israeli mothers or married mothers respectively. This study contributes to an understanding of problem domains that should be addressed in welfare, and points to the need for psychological interventions for migrant and single-mother families that foster positive mother-child communication and interaction.