Group Of Single Mothers Research Articles

If unpartnered at the birth of a child, how would you fare? A life-course perspective on contemporary single motherhood

ABSTRACT In this article, we use population-based administrative data and multichannel sequence analysis to investigate the trajectories of single mothers in Norway who had a child while unpartnered in 1993, 2001 and 2008. Our observation period is from 1994 to 2015. This period covers several structural transformations in Norwegian society and changes in family policies and welfare policies concerning single mothers. Furthermore, the period saw the growth of alternatives to the nuclear family as the prevailing normative ideal. Our findings demonstrate both complexity and heterogeneity among single mothers and their trajectories. Even so, the population of this group of single mothers is both younger and have lower education than the comparable population of non-single mothers. Nearly half of the single mothers followed trajectories characterized by strong labour market integration and family re-establishment. The other half followed more precarious trajectories characterized by unemployment and health related benefits. Importantly, age and life stage have strong implications for the labour market and family trajectories. Thus, early parenthood combined with leaving school early increases the probability of following precarious trajectories. The results further suggest that both economic cycles and changing welfare state framework is of great importance for single mother trajectories.

Pathways into single motherhood, re-partnering, and trajectories of antidepressant medication purchases

Single motherhood is known to be distressing, and to be associated with poor mental health. However, less is known about the pathways into and out of single motherhood, or about the mental health trajectories of single mothers. We used total population registry data on Finnish women who experienced the life events of separation (616,762), widowhood (43,355), or child birth (515,756) during the 1995–2018 period while between the ages of 15–64. Single mothers were compared with women who experienced the same life event, but without becoming a single mother. The results for women who separated showed that among single mothers, there was a substantial increase in antidepressant use at the time of separation, and only a moderate decline after separation. Among women who experienced widowhood, those who had underage children initially had lower antidepressant use than women without children, but this gap narrowed in the post-widowhood period. In addition, single women experienced more unfavorable mental health trajectories than partnered women around the time they gave birth. Re-partnering was associated with more favorable mental health among all groups of single mothers. Given the growing prevalence of single-parent households, our results underscore the need for context-specific interventions to support single mothers’ mental health.

Factors related to Depression of Single-Parents with Minor Children: Focusing on the Gender Differences

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate gender differences as ecological factors associated with depression of single-parents who lived with minors.Methods: This study was secondary data analysis using national data from the 2018 Single Parent Family Survey, including 2,427 participants (1,575 mothers and 852 fathers). Data were analyzed using SPSS/MAC 26.0 program for the descriptive analysis, independent t-tests, chi-squared tests, and binary logistic regression.Results: The depression groups were identified as 17.4% for women and 11.0% for men based on Patient Health Questionnaire-9. In logistic regression, single mothers’ depression was significantly associated with low income, unemployment, low education level, parenting difficulties, a sense of distance from family, and family discrimination experiences. However, single fathers’ depression was significantly associated with low income, unemployment, and parenting difficulties.Conclusion: Our study findings suggest that depression interventions should be tailored to different gender groups of the single-parents, specifically socio-emotional factors should be considered for the single mother group.

Universidad y maternidad. Madres universitarias en la Universidad de Sonora

El artículo presenta una exploración sobre estudiantes universitarias que a la par son madres, detalla sus características demográficas, el embarazo sorpresivo, los apoyos familiares y las vivencias como madres y estudiantes. La descripción permite conocer un grupo integrado preferentemente por madres solteras que experimenta la maternidad de manera inesperada durante sus estudios pero que cuenta con el respaldo familiar para continuar su formación universitaria. También perfila los contornos de una maternidad intensa y contradictoria. La información que respalda el trabajo proviene de 25 entrevistas realizadas a informantes de la Universidad de Sonora.

Couple versus Single Mother Group Treatment: A Comparative Study

This study compared couple versus single-mother treatment in group. Ninety-three participants from nine small groups received treatment in one of two conditions: mothers (47) and 23 couples (n = 46). Results showed positive pre-post outcomes on stress and parental coping for participants in both conditions, with no difference between them. However, differences were found at post-follow up (after six months), with parents treated as couples managing to retain gains following treatment, compared with mothers treated alone, who even showed some deterioration with time. Only one gender difference was found—fathers were less motivated to engage in treatment in all three time measurements. Regarding the important role fathers have in their child’s development and the positive gains when treated as a couple, fathers should be encouraged to engage more in treatment, and an interpersonal group of an expressive-supportive modality may be a viable way for fathers to do so.

Samodzielne macierzyństwo - wybór czy konieczność?

Niniejszy artykuł prezentuje zjawisko samodzielnego macierzyństwa. Opisano w nim dwie grupy samodzielnych matek: tych, które zostały samotnymi rodzicami z konieczności, w wyniku zaistnienia zdarzeń losowych oraz matki, które dokonały świadomego wyboru, aby wychowywać dziecko bez pomocy drugiego rodzica. W pracy zostało przedstawione również samodzielne macierzyństwo z perspektywy realizacji funkcji rodzicielskich. Autorka poruszyła kwestię zaspokojenia potrzeb samodzielnych matek oraz opisała warunki rozwojowe dzieci samotnych matek.

Sick Child Care-related Needs According to the Type of Household -Single-Mother Households and Double-income Nuclear Families

Background: Sick child care is a form of nursing care provided temporarily by nursery staff and nurses for sick children when they cannot be cared for by their parents, for reasons such as having to work. To facilitate sick child care according to the type of household, we investigated single-mother households and double-income nuclear families, and clarified their usage of such care and relevant needs. Methods: The study subjects comprised 14 single mothers, and 131 individuals from double-income nuclear families. We investigated their usage of sick child care, perceived benefits of such care, and carerelated requests. Results: For both types of family, the mean age of care service users was less than 3 years, and most of them had infectious diseases. In the single-mother group, more than 50% of the subjects were non-regular employees. Compared with the double-income group, the single-mother group showed significantly higher percentages of people with a low income and those using the systems for reducing care fees (P<0.0001, P<0.0243). The latter group also exhibited a higher percentage of individuals with anxiety due to the possibility of their dismissal from work caused by taking time off (P=0.0238).Furthermore, a higher percentage of single mothers than those from double-income households considered sick child care-related guidance to be beneficial (P<0.021).

How to stimulate single mothers on welfare to find a job: evidence from a policy experiment

We present the results from a policy experiment in which single mothers on welfare were stimulated to enter the labor market and increase their work experience. The aim of the policy was not per se for single mothers to leave welfare completely but to encourage them to find a job if only a part-time job. Two policy instruments were introduced: an earnings disregard and job creation. The experiment was performed at the municipality level in the Netherlands, a country with relatively high benefits and low incentives for single mothers to leave welfare for work. In our analysis, we make a distinction between native and immigrant welfare recipients. For immigrant single mothers, we find a positive employment effect of an earnings disregard. Job creation in addition to the earnings disregard increased working hours for some groups of single mothers. Although the outflow from welfare was not affected, welfare expenditures were reduced.

Stress, Roles and Responsibilities of Single Mothers in Malaysia

Life as a single mother is often associated with great demands and many challenges. This study examines how a group of single mothers in Malaysia views sources of stress and challenges in their lives. It also investigates perceived roles and responsibilities of single mothers. Three hundred single mothers from all over Malaysia were interviewed in this study. Single mothers reported relatively low level of stress that was mostly related to financial (insufficient pay) and day-to-day living. They had fairly low stress on issues related to romantic partner and romantic relationships. They however reported extensive roles and responsibilities. Single mothers reported feeling responsible across various domains of life including for their own health and well-being and also for the health and wellbeing of their family and friends. They reported high level of coping and particularly oriented towards solving the problems. They also reported general satisfaction over life. Correlation analysis indicated significant positive relationships between roles and responsibilities and life satisfaction and coping in which coping was associated with higher level of roles and responsibilities and life satisfaction. There was also a negative correlation between stress and life satisfaction in which more stress was associated with lower life satisfaction. Findings indicated a substantial nurturing role of single mothers and provided important policy and practice implications that highlights the important to study and continuously improve quality of life for these women. Finally, this study highlights the important to continuously study and support, important but marginalized groups in society such as single mothers.

The dog that did not bark: The EITC for single mothers in the Netherlands

We study the extension of an EITC for single mothers in the Netherlands to mothers with a youngest child 12 to 15years of age. This reform increased the net income gain of moving into employment for the treatment group by 31%. Using both DD and RD we show that this reform had a negligible effect on labour participation, with tight confidence intervals around zero. Our results are at odds with a number of related studies. This finding may be due to our treatment group of single mothers of which the youngest child is relatively old, or because the reform we consider was less salient. Furthermore, related studies typically study changes in a tax credit which was part of a broader reform package, making it harder to isolate the effect of the tax credit. Also, we show that using single women without children as the control group, as is commonly done in related studies, can be problematic.

How to Stimulate Single Mothers on Welfare to Find a Job: Evidence from a Natural Experiment

We present the results from a natural experiment in which single mothers on welfare were stimulated to find a job. Two policy instruments were introduced: an earnings disregard and job creation. The experiment was performed at the level of municipalities in The Netherlands, a country with relatively high benefits and low incentives for single mothers to leave welfare for work. In our analysis, we make a distinction between native and immigrant welfare recipients. For immigrant single mothers and some groups of native single mothers we find a positive employment effect of an earnings disregard. Job creation in addition to the earnings disregard increased working hours for some groups of single mothers. Although the outflow from welfare was not affected, welfare expenditures were reduced.

Work life and mental wellbeing of single and non-single working mothers in Scandinavia

This study examined levels and predictors of mental wellbeing in Scandinavian working single and non-single mothers, with a special focus on financial stress, job characteristics and work-family conflict. The European Social Survey Round 2 (2005) provided questionnaire data from 73 single and 432 non-single working mothers in Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Respondents answered questions about the outcome variables life satisfaction, happiness, and positive affect, and predictor variables financial stress, job characteristics, work-family conflict, and social support. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to assess the relationships between predictor variables and mental wellbeing outcomes. Single working mothers scored significantly lower on life satisfaction and happiness, but not on positive affect, than did non-single mothers. Financial stress was higher in the single mother group. There were no significant differences in levels of enriching or stressful job characteristics, or in levels of social support. While financial stress and work-family conflict were important predictors in both groups, the relationship between financial stress and wellbeing was far stronger in the single mother group. Confidant support was a significant predictor only in the single mother group, and social participation only in the non-single mothers group. This study suggests that the Scandinavian welfare democracies have not yet been successful in relieving the financial pressure experienced by single working mothers. Development of efficient financial support systems should be prioritized. Ways to reduce work-family conflict in both single and non-single mothers in Scandinavia should also be given increased attention.

Exercising Agency, Becoming a Single Mother

Single motherhood is on the rise and an increasing number of single mothers are never married. This has contributed to the crisis rhetoric surrounding the decline of the traditional family. A plethora of research has been conducted with a variety of subgroups of single mothers, but virtually no research has examined the lives of never married, single mothers, who are neither poor nor middle class, but economically fall in between. Drawing on data from qualitative interviews with this subgroup, the article examines their decision-making processes. The findings of this study reveal various factors that helped the women make decisions showing how the process is more complex than previously suggested in the literature. Interestingly, the women articulate a comfort zone of single motherhood that is unparallel to other groups of single mothers. Concepts of agency, autonomy, pride, and self-reliance are crucial to understanding their process of decision making.

Benefits of On-Line Chat for Single Mothers

This article contributes to the literature on the use of Information Technology (IT) in Human Services by reporting on an evaluation that was conducted of a program that provided computers, private chat software, technical and professional support and Internet access to a group of single mothers to increase their support network through on-line communication. The program proved to be successful on several dimensions and one of the major contributing factors to its success was the anonymous nature of the chat communication. Additional research is advised to look further into the role of anonymity in creating honest and meaningful exchanges in this kind of “electronic” support group. It is one of the characteristics that distinguished this type of support group from traditional support groups and makes this not just a substitute for face-to-face support groups but a unique form of support.

Social support and education groups for single mothers: a randomized controlled trial of a community-based program.

Members of families headed by single mothers are at increased risk of psychosocial disadvantage and mental health problems. We assessed the effect of a community-based program of social support and education groups for single mothers of young children on maternal well-being and parenting. We recruited 116 single mothers of children 3 to 9 years old through community advertisements. Eligible mothers were randomly assigned either to participate in a 10-week program of group sessions (1.5 hours per week) offering social support and education, with a parallel children's activity group, or to receive a standard list of community resources and the option to participate in group sessions at the end of the follow-up period. Interviewers blinded to the randomization collected assessment data from all mothers at baseline and at 3 follow-up visits (immediately after the intervention and at 3 and 6 months after the intervention). Outcome measures were self-reported mood, self-esteem, social support and parenting. Between February 2000 and April 2003, the program was offered to 9 groups of single mothers. Most of the mothers in the trial reported high levels of financial and mental health problems. In the short term (after the intervention), mothers in the intervention group had improved scores for mood (p < 0.01, standardized effect = 0.55) and self-esteem (p < 0.05, standardized effect = 0.29) compared with mothers in the control group; scores for the other 2 measures did not differ between the groups. Growth curve analysis of program effects over the follow-up period showed improvement in all 4 outcomes, with no significant difference between the intervention and control groups. This community-based program of group sessions offering social support and education to low-income single mothers had positive short-term effects on mood and self-esteem but not on social support and parenting. Longer follow-up showed attenuation of these effects.

Love and Money in an Age of Neoliberalism: Gender, Work, and Single Motherhood in Postrevolutionary Nicaragua

Based on qualitative research conducted in 1999 and 2001 with a group of single mothers in Matagalpa, Nicaragua, this paper examines the contradictory impacts of neoliberalism on work, based on the understanding that economic restructuring can generate both crisis and a space for changes in gender identities. By focusing on the broader picture of women's work and on the intersections between paid and unpaid work, it discusses what happens to these intersections in times of intense political and economic change. Despite the hardships caused by neoliberalism, it appears that work is a site in which gender ideologies can be challenged. The paper has four main sections. First, it explores the ways in which certain cultural processes are intensified under neoliberalism which affects the relationship between constructions of masculinity and femininity. Second, it assesses the impact of neoliberalism on domestic work and the implications of this for GAD (gender and development) understandings of the double burden and of how the balance of women's paid and unpaid work changes under neoliberalism. Third, it examines the ways in which hegemonic understandings of femininities and motherhood and revolutionary legacies can be resistant to the neoliberal present. Finally, it discusses how work under neoliberalism can be a site of female empowerment or self-esteem.

Exposure to Threatening and Violent Behaviour Among Single Mothers: The Significance of Lifestyle, Neighbourhood and Welfare Situation

The objective of this article is to study violent victimisation among single mothers. This is mainly achieved by examining variations within the group of single mothers. The study is based on the Annual Survey of Living Conditions conducted by Statistics Sweden. The analysis includes a total of 1,713 single mothers. One of the central issues in this study is to examine the significance of factors related to participation in public entertainment, residential neighbourhood and resource deficiencies at the individual level. One important conclusion from the study is that differences in levels of exposure to violence, both within the group of single mothers and between this group and other women, are primarily related to levels of individual welfare resources.

The concordance between mother-infant attachment at 18 months and maternal attachment 10 years later among married and single mothers

This study examined the concordance between infant-mother attachment at 18 months, assessed in the Strange Situation, and maternal representations of attachment, assessed by the Adult Attachment Interview over 10 years later. The sample of 20 mother-infant dyads was selected for heterogeneity, and included 15 infants who were classified secure and 5 who were classified insecure at 18 months. Twelve of the mothers were married at the time of the infant's birth and 8 were single. The concordance between mother-infant attachment was found to be low. For the three ‘organised’ categories (avoidant/dismissing, secure/secure, and resistant/preoccupied), the observed match was 35% for the two-way secure-insecure split, and 30% for the three categories. Mother-infant concordance was significantly higher for the married-mother (50%) than the single-mother group (12.5%). The distribution of attachment classifications for the infants showed a somewhat above-average proportion of secure classifications (75%). The dist...

Pathways to Single Motherhood: Sexual Intercourse, Adoption, and Donor Insemination

Exploratory quantitative and qualitative analyses were used to compare the perceptions of premotherhood preparation and the means of coping with motherhood among three groups of single mothers (those who conceived by sexual intercourse, those who adopted, and those who conceived by donor insemination) and married women who conceived by sexual intercourse. The pathway to motherhood influenced the single women's premotherhood thinking about the role of a father in their child's life in that the sexual-intercourse mothers were less likely than either of the other two groups to mention that a father's absence is hard on a child or to mention that most kids end up without fathers anyway. The only group that reported any significant distress was a subgroup of sexual-intercourse single mothers whose pregnancies were unplanned. These findings suggest that single motherhood per se is not associated with difficulties but that the adjustment to motherhood is influenced by whether the choice to become a single parent occurs before or after conception.

Perceptions of Childhood Family of Origin Well‐being, Self‐esteem, and Attitudes Toward the Divorced Single Mother

The contributions of perceptions of childhood family of origin well‐being and self‐esteem to attitudes toward the divorced single mother among 170 college students were investigated. Participants came from two family types, including those who lived only with their biological parents (i.e., biological parents group), and those who lived at some time in their lives with a divorced single mother (i.e, divorced single mother group). In all hierarchical regression models tested, the control variables of participants’ gender, age, socioeconomic status, and family income, as well as the predictor variable of family type made no significant contributions to their attitudes toward the divorced single mother. Childhood perceptions of family of origin well‐being, however, significantly predicted more positive attitudes toward the divorced single mother, particularly for the biological parents group. On the other hand, self‐esteem made no significant contributions. In addition, forthe biological parents group, amoun...