Carden, Melissa
(2022)
Stress and Mental Health Experiences Among Single Mothers in the United States Since 2010.
Master Essay, University of Pittsburgh.
Abstract
The rate of single motherhood in the United States has increased substantially since the beginning of the 21st Century. The quality of mental health for single mothers is considered inadequate because access to necessary resources is often scarce as a result of limited financial capabilities. Emotional stress is reported more by single mothers compared to those who are married because of a disproportionate number of additional stressors present in their lives at significantly higher rates. These stressors are more than usual given the fact that single mothers have responsibilities greater than the normal amount.
Also, single mothers are the primary caregivers of their children as they are the only parent in the house. By being the solo parent and adult in the household, each task that is required to raise children and take care of other important domestic responsibilities is dependent upon her, which can bring forth additional stressors. With many responsibilities, it is common for single mothers to not have an efficient number of resources to assist her as she raises her children and takes care of a variety of other important responsibilities.
This essay explores many factors that describe the scope of emotional stress that single mothers in the United States struggle with daily. Although the current literature regarding emotional distress has been studied applying quantitative-based research methodologies with qualitative methods being included, there has not been specific studies conducted on the effectiveness of safety net programs designed to assist single mothers who are experiencing significant emotional distress. Therefore, more systematic analyses on organizations and programs that address this public health issue must be conducted through an in-depth examination of the gaps in care for single mothers’ emotional distress.
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Details
| Item Type: |
Other Thesis, Dissertation, or Long Paper
(Master Essay)
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| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
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| Contributors: |
| Contribution | Contributors Name | Email | Pitt Username | ORCID  |
|---|
| Committee Chair | Mair, Christina | cmair@pitt.edu | cmair | UNSPECIFIED | | Committee Member | Hershey, Tina | tbh16@pitt.edu | tbh16 | UNSPECIFIED |
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| Date: |
1 September 2022 |
| Date Type: |
Completion |
| Submission Date: |
12 August 2022 |
| Access Restriction: |
1 year -- Restrict access to University of Pittsburgh for a period of 1 year. |
| Number of Pages: |
42 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
School of Public Health > Behavioral and Community Health Sciences |
| Degree: |
MPH - Master of Public Health |
| Thesis Type: |
Master Essay |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
Stress, Single Mothers, United States |
| Date Deposited: |
01 Sep 2022 12:46 |
| Last Modified: |
01 Sep 2023 05:15 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/43606 |
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