Maternal Stress and Resilience: The Role of Social Support in Single Mothers

Abstract

This study investigated how social support impacts maternal stress and resilience among single mothers. Single mothers experience a high level of stress due to the dual burden of parenting and economic contribution. The role of social support is important in reducing stress and increasing resilience among single mothers. The data consists of two groups, an equal participants in each group. Data was recruited through purposive and snowball sampling, using standardized measuring scales, the Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the Brief Resilience Coping Scale (BRCS). Regression analysis revealed that social support is a predictor of both maternal stress and resilience. Furthermore, widowed mothers reported higher scores on perceived social support and resilience compared to divorced mothers. Therefore, improving and enhancing access to the social support network for single mothers is recommended, which will help them adopt better parenting practices and contribute to a healthy family environment.